Rallies In Canada Against Gender And Sex Education Garner Broad Support Among Arab Social Media Users, Including Western-Based Islamists

The rallies that took place on September 20, 2023, in multiple Canadian cities to condemn and oppose the inclusion of gender and sex education in schools have garnered significant support among Arab social media users, including Western-based Islamists. Supporters of the rallies have praised the active participation of Muslim communities and emphasized the importance of countering the promotion of LGBTQ rights within educational institutions.

One Egyptian-born American scholar emphasized that participating in the rally "is a religious and moral obligation for every man and woman." Others have described it as a "historic social event" and a "challenge to the tyranny of liberalism." Some have expressed the hope that similar protests will occur in Muslim-majority countries to prevent what they see as the influence of toxic Western-influenced liberal and leftist values leading their societies into moral decline.

These supporters have also highlighted the participation of conservative Christians in the rallies, viewing it as an alliance aimed at safeguarding moral values against what they perceive as the promotion of immorality by liberal ideologies. In addition to expressing their support for the rallies, they have strongly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement, which he posted on his X account on September 20, 2023, in which he said: "Let me make one thing very clear: Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country – you are valid and you are valued." [1]

This report will highlight the various reactions expressed in support of the rallies by Arab social media users and Islamist figures, including those living in Western countries, while also addressing their condemnation of Mr. Trudeau's statement.

Commenting in support of the rallies and commending Muslim communities in Canada for participating in them, a Moroccan user on X (formerly Twitter), Ahmed Badda, who has over 7,000 followers, published several posts under the hashtags: "#1MillionMarch4Children" and "#Canada_Million_March." On September 20, he wrote: "Huge marches in various Canadian cities as part of the #CanadaMillion to protect families and children. The hashtag #Canada_Million_March is the top trending in Canadian tweets. We need similar marches in our Muslim countries to prevent the liberal minority infatuated with the West from leading our societies into an abyss with no bottom."[2]

In other posts, he praised Muslims in the West for challenging "the tyranny of liberalism"[3] and argued that "Muslims are the world's hope in confronting the tyranny of the dilution and deviation of liberalism." Furthermore, he expressed his belief that "the opportunity is ripe for Muslims to ally with Christian conservatives to prevent society from collapsing."[4]

In a post published on September 20, an Iraqi blogger and user on X, Marwan, wrote that he, too, wished to see similar protests in his country "against the gender project promoted and supported by the U.S. Embassy."[5]

On September 20, Turkey-based Syrian Islamist researcher and YouTuber Ahmad Dadoosh commended conservative Canadians for participating in the rallies. In a post published on his X account, which is followed by over 103,000 people, he stated: "Finally, the conservatives have awakened from their slumber and overcome their fear, after years of complacency, while the extreme left was racing against time to change laws and curricula in favor of its devilish agendas. Today, the streets of Canada are rising up in massive protests against the gender and sexual education agenda in schools."[6]

Commenting on an Al-Jazeera report about the rallies, Lebanese political analyst Joseph Abu Fadel published a post on September 21, on his X platform, which is followed by over 223,000 people. He wrote: "Families, parents, and the Canadian community are rising up in massive protests rejecting the culture of promoting and encouraging sexual deviance, and they are rejecting sex education courses in schools... and protesting against the introduction of homosexuality into the minds of students."[7]

U.S. and Canada-based Arabs and Islamists have expressed their support for these rallies as they shared videos and posted commentaries on their social media platforms. Some of them have considered participating in these rallies as a "religious and moral obligation," echoing the sentiments of Egyptian-born American Islamic preacher Fadel Soliman., who is the Director of the Bridges Foundation and has over 500,000 followers on his X account. On September 17, he wrote in both Arabic and English: "I believe that attending the #million_man_march in #Canada to protect children on September 20th is a religious and moral obligation on every man and woman."[8]

On the day of the event, he shared a YouTube video of the rallies and published another post stating: "Muslims in Canada are leading million-man marches now in all Canadian cities against the new Lot's People's schemes under the banner 'Leave the Children Alone.'"[9]

Describing the rallies as a "historic social event," Saudi-born, Canada-based Islamic researcher and writer Mohanna Al-Hubail stated in a post published on his X account, which is followed by over 221,000 thousand people, that "it is the result of the Islamic-Christian alliance that believes in children's rights and rejects the recent oppressive homosexual project, as many believe it has been imposed on parents and childhood. A campaign of harsh legislation has begun to remove parental custody in favor of the teachers' union and activists who advocate for the spread of homosexuality, particularly in Canada and worldwide."

In the September 19 post, Al-Hubail described the ties and motivations of the people at the rallies as an "alliance, initially launched by families, civilian activists, and Christian churches for Canadian citizens of Western origins, along with their fellow Muslim citizens, before being joined by various minorities, declared itself as a civil protest for believers in divine religions, man-made laws, and spiritual values, including ethical atheists."

Speculating about the reasons that led to the organizing of the rallies, he wrote: "Perhaps what has increased the tension in the scene is the development of the Liberal Party's stance against Muslims in their rights to care for their children, according to Article Two of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I have not noticed any correction or apology to the Muslims. Furthermore, the leaks that revealed a secret plan to fabricate charges against the Islamic-Christian alliance for the protection of human and constitutional rights of families and children have increased feelings of tension in general."[10]

In another post, published on September 20, Al-Hubail argued that the recent dialogue that took place between Canadian Muslims and Christians has "bridged the gap between the Canadian social right and Canadian Muslims to activate shared values to address moral questions in religions and protect innocent life. Perhaps this can contribute to reducing the intensity of disagreements and political manipulation that has fueled tension in favor of political forces."

Regarding the future of this newly formed alliance, Al-Hubail stated: "The alliance has now decided to unite based on the common issue of rejecting the imposition of homosexuality on Canadian children and refusing to remove parental custody in favor of ideological blocs that oppose family values and aim to determine the gender identities of Canadian children and abolish the right to conscience in the Canadian constitution."[11]

Other commentators strongly condemned Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's position, which they interpreted as unfairly accusing the rally participants of promoting hatred against the LGBTQ community. Still other commentators accused Trudeau of being homosexual himself, and of using tactics similar to those of the Spanish Inquisition.

Commenting on Trudeau's post, the Moroccan X Badda wrote: "The new tools of the inquisition courts: accusing every dissenter of hatred and affixing a hatred card to their forehead. This renders all their speech invalid. They become lawbreakers and are subject to persecution. Where have we seen this before? In the days of Lenin and Stalin? During Hitler's time? Under the alleged socialist systems in Eastern Europe? Inquisition courts are a method used by those who have lost their arguments and evidence, and they resurface in new forms each time."[12]

In his comment on Trudeau's post, the Turkish-based Syrian blogger Dadoosh accused the Canadian politician of missing the point of the rallies, and asserted that Trudeau's party would lose the upcoming election. On September 21, 2023, Dadoosh wrote: "After all the streets of Canada reverberated with historic million-man marches shouting one slogan: 'Leave our children alone,' all Mr. Trudeau, the leader of the Liberals, could comprehend from all of this was: 'hate speech,' as he threatened to suppress it! This once again confirms that far-left ideologies end up in the same place, sanctifying their symbols, stereotyping those who disagree with them, and slandering them. They are ready to use power and force to suppress opposing opinions. All indicators and opinion polls confirm that the Liberals will lose the upcoming elections, as even Muslims and minorities, who were traditionally their allies, are now allying with the conservatives to defeat them. The liberal left in the West is going through a historical turning point, and time will pass it by as history has shown."[13]

On Facebook, Canada-based user Mohamad Safa shared an Arabic translation of his daughter's response to Trudeau's post. According to Safa's post, which was published on September 21, 2023, his daughter wrote: "For those who were not present during the demonstration today, I would like to say that our message was not directed at a specific group of people but rather at the governments and their new school reforms that impose social gender ideology on our children and place them in a state of uncertainty. I'm sure you've seen people holding signs that say 'Leave our children alone' or 'Our children, our education' because here in Canada, we have the right to ensure the religious and moral education of our children according to our beliefs, and to respect human rights. The rights of our children and their interests (Article 41 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms). The demonstration aimed to protect our moral values, beliefs, and our children's rights, without any form of discrimination against any group of people. After all, isn't Canada a country of freedom?"[14]

On September 20, 2023, Iraqi YouTuber Mostafa Emad went Trudeau as a "homosexual" and a "fool." In a post published on his X account, Emad wrote: "Notice the response of the homosexual Canadian Prime Minister, this fool challenges and refuses to listen to the voices of millions of citizens, and he insists on teaching and promoting sexual deviance and gender ideology to children in schools."[15]

Canada-based pro-Al-Qaeda cleric Tariq Abdelhaleem published multiple posts on his X account in which he described the rallies as "successful" and condemned Mr. Trudeau's reactions by calling him a "clown."  On September 20, 2023, he wrote: "The million-man march in Toronto and Ontario, Canada, against the teaching of homosexuality in schools has now concluded. Thank God, it was very successful, and the turnout was strong. Alongside the Muslims, who were the majority organizers, a large number of Christians and people of other faiths also participated. In the coming hours, similar marches will take place across Canada according to the time differences. The situation here has become unbearable."[16]

Responding to Mr. Trudeau's comment, Abdelhaleem published a post in English, stating: "I just don't understand this clown!! What is the relationship between hate and refusing the grooming and imposition of LGBTQ.TRGDVJ234 or whatever they call it nowadays? Parents don't want their kids to be exposed to this kind of sexual/pornographic material in schools!"[17]