Calgary YMCA rescinds peace award to pro-Palestinian activist

Saima Jamal helped plan three anti-Israel rallies in the summer, one of which turned violent. FACEBOOK PHOTO

The Calgary YMCA has decided not to award one of its Peace Medals to an activist involved in organizing a series of pro-Palestinian rallies last summer, one of which turned violent.

Several weeks ago, Saima Jamal, program director for the Calgary Islamic Chamber Institute and formerly the program manager of the University of Calgary’s Consortium for Peace Studies, was notified that she would be receiving one of Calgary YMCA’s Peace Medals, awarded to people who work to promote justice and peace in their community.

But earlier this month, the YMCA informed Jamal that because of her involvement in organizing rallies in front of Calgary’s City Hall to protest Israel’s war on Hamas last summer – one of which resulted in three pro-Palestinian demonstrators being charged with assault after beating pro-Israel counter-protesters – she would not receive the award after all.

When the leadership at the Calgary Jewish Federation (CJF) learned that Jamal was named as a peace medal recipient, they sent a letter to the YMCA.

“We did send them a letter because we were concerned about the message such an award would send to the community after the violence that had occurred at a rally she organized in the summer,” said Judy Shapiro, CJF’s associate executive director.

“We sent the letter Nov. 10… a couple days later we were notified that she had been notified that they had rescinded the award, but [the YMCA representatives] said it had nothing to do with our letter,” Shapiro said, adding that although the letter did not ask for the YMCA to rescind the award, she feels the right decision was made.

After the YMCA informed Jamal that she would not be receiving the award, she was invited to meet with YMCA representatives to talk about the decision.

In a statement that Jamal sent to her supporters after she met with the YMCA on Nov. 17, she said, “I had over an hour-long meeting with the YMCA… regarding their decision to revoke the YMCA PeaceMedal two weeks after they allocated and announced it to me… In the meeting they told me that their CEO, Ms. Helena Weir and a few other senior staff had decided to countermand the decision… because of one incident of violence at one of five peace rallies that all persons in the meeting recognized had nothing to do with either my intent or my organization.”

YMCA representatives did not respond to interview requests.

Jamal said that although the YMCA stood by the decision to rescind the award, they did apologize to her.

“I have accepted [the apology]. Now I wish to move on,” Jamal said.

She said that although the YMCA has denied that they were influenced “by any outside forces,” she is hurt by the decision the CJF made to send the letter to the YMCA.

“To me, regardless of whether their expressed concerns had any influence or not, many relationships have been damaged by both their actions and their comments. Those relationships will have to be rebuilt by substantive dialogue and shared good initiatives, and while I am uncertain at present how best to proceed and how to begin, I know it is something that we must do together,” Jamal said.

“I feel that the gravest injustice of all was not visited upon myself, but upon the entire Calgary peace community, who have become demoralized and have united behind me against the YMCA and the CJF because of this.”