Some B.C. mosques ban NDP MLAs, candidates after minister's Middle East comments

Representatives from more than a dozen British Columbia mosques and Islamic associations have sent a letter to Premier David Eby calling for the minister of post-secondary education to be removed from her role.

They say no NDP MLA or candidate for the next provincial election is welcome in their sacred spaces until the premier takes action against Selina Robinson, who has faced heavy criticism and calls to resign for days after saying the state of Israel was created on a "crappy piece of land."

On Friday, Robinson apologized on X for the comments she made at a public panel Jan. 30, saying they were "disrespectful." She said she had been referring to the land having limited natural resources.

On Monday,  the MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville issued a more detailed apology in a statement sent to media outlets.

It said she understood she had broken the trust of many people, and is committed to "taking part in anti-Islamophobia training to more deeply understand the concerns that have been expressed to me."

"I am committed to making amends, learning from the pain I have caused and doing whatever I can to rebuild relationships," Robinson said in the statement.

Eby has said that Robinson's comments were wrong and hurtful and increase division in the province, but he has not directly responded to questions regarding whether he considered firing her.

WATCH | B.C. minister under fire for comments about area where Israeli state was created: 

B.C. premier says minister 'has some work to do' after Middle East comments

10 months ago

Duration 2:17

David Eby said he has accepted the apology of, and expressed his disappointment with, Selina Robinson over remarks she made about the Middle East. At a Jan. 30 public panel, she referred to the region prior to the establishment of the state of Israel as a 'crappy piece of land with nothing on it'.

On Friday, he said he believed Robinson "crossed a line" with her remarks and she has assured him she will be reaching out directly to members of impacted communities to make reparations.

"I expressed my disappointment to her about not meeting that standard. She's got some work to do," Eby said.

The letter from Muslim groups, dated Friday, says neither Robinson's apology nor Eby's response address the serious harm done to members of the community and argues Robinson has shown "blatant bigotry" that's tarnished the reputation of the province and the NDP.

"Ultimately, what it comes down to is, does the B.C. NDP condone these attitudes toward any equity-deserving group, let alone Palestinian Arab and Muslim communities that are already at greater risk of harm?" the letter says.

Signatory Haroon Khan, director of the Al-Jamia Masjid mosque in Vancouver, says the NDP's decision not to call for an end to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza makes Robinson's apology and Eby's assurances "empty words."

"The vast majority of the will of Canadians is that we are against this war, we are against this genocide, and we all want peace. But systematically, we're being denied, [and] our governments are not falling in line with the will of the people," Khan told CBC News on Sunday.

"And unless and until they do, don't come to our sacred places, to our mosques, for a photo op."

Resignation petition

The B.C. NDP cancelled a fundraiser scheduled for Sunday evening in Surrey, a party spokesperson confirmed to CBC News.

"We heard from the community that it is not the time for a celebratory event," the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. "We have some work to do."

On Monday, groups are planning to protest outside the provincial NDP caucus retreat in Surrey, with organizers saying they will deliver the signatures of more than 11,000 people asking for Robinson's resignation.