Broken Treaties, Stolen Lands: Lessons From Canada To Palestine - Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi

Friday Juma KhutbaSeptember 26th, 2025- Next Tuesday is the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, remembering the atrocities and generational impact of residential schools in Canada.- The government was slow to acknowledge the injustices: land theft, broken treaties, forced removal of children, suppression of Indigenous languages and culture, and church-run residential schools.- The government and Catholic Church later apologized, but many treaty obligations remain unfulfilled, such as the Ontario case where $4 per person was promised with annual increases but never implemented; the Supreme Court in July 2024 called it a mockery, and First Nations are demanding $160 billion.- Some Ontario cities, like Vaughan, have adopted Indigenous land acknowledgements, but symbolic gestures are not enough without honoring treaty commitments.- Indigenous peoples are not asking for their lands back but for fair value and payments according to signed treaties; the issue is justice, not ownership.- This means living on these lands is not impermissible for others, as the matter is between the government and Indigenous peoples regarding fair compensation.- Shifting to the Middle East: 156 countries have recognized Palestine, with strong applause at the UN when France announced recognition.- Despite global recognition, the US continues to delay action.- Recognition alone is symbolic and must be followed by meaningful steps.- Former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy emphasized that statements and rhetoric must be backed by action.- Past injustices cannot be excused by new realities such as illegal West Bank settlements.- Imam ‘Ali (a) stated: “Verily the old right is not nullified by anything,” highlighting that longstanding rights and injustices must still be addressed, relevant to the Palestinian cause.Donate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)