Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: His political immaturity is now a legend, not only in Canada but also worldwide. For, within two months, he has antagonized two of the largest immigrant communities in the North American nation: the Sikhs and the Muslims.
Ahead of his 2015 parliamentary elections, a large number of Canadian Sikhs—except the few pro-Khalistanis—are angry at him because his misguided missiles shot at India have cut many of them off from their roots in Punjab, even if temporarily.
But the latest case is even more interesting.
He scored yet another self-goal on Friday when, after first supporting Israel in its war against Hamas, he tried to make a course correction by paying a sudden visit to a mosque in Toronto.
“Shame on you,” was how Trudeau was booed in the mosque, whose videos went viral immediately.
The media reported that Trudeau faced backlash because of his response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The video of the Prime Minister encountering the angry crowd gained widespread attention and went viral on various social media platforms.
According to The Toronto Sun, Trudeau attended a mosque in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, a visit his office kept under wraps. However, later, his office confirmed Trudeau’s visit to the International Muslims Organization of Toronto, stating that it was to show solidarity for the Muslims affected by the events in the Middle East.
Some people gathered in the mosque shouted “shame” and demanded that Trudeau be forbidden from speaking at the podium. The video shows Trudeau addressing the dozens gathered, thanking them for allowing him to “pray alongside you in this difficult time.”
The video also depicted protesters, assembled outside the mosque as Prime Minister Trudeau was departing, asking him to push for a ceasefire in the conflict.
“Everyone is hurt and hurting; everyone is grieving; everyone is scared of what this means,” Trudeau told reporters on Friday in Brampton, Ontario, when asked if his caucus is at odds over how the Liberals should respond.
The Toronto Sun reported that Toronto-area Liberal MP Salma Zahid, who is chair of the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, demanded Canada join the call for an immediate ceasefire, help facilitate the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and stand up for international law. It was signed by 23 backbench Liberal MPs, eight NDP MPs, and both Green Party MPs.