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Sarah Jama
MPP
Jama in 2018
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Hamilton Centre
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 March 2023
Preceded byAndrea Horwath
Personal details
Born1994/1995 (age 29–30)[1]
Political partyIndependent (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		New Democratic (2022–2023)
Residence(s)Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Alma materMcMaster University
Occupation
  • Politician
  • activist
Websitewww.sarahjama.ca

Sarah Jama MPP (born 1994 or 1995)[1] is a Canadian politician and disability rights activist who has served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since March 2023.

Originally elected as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), Jama was expelled from the NDP caucus on 23 October 2023, for not abiding by the terms of an agreement with party leader Marit Stiles by taking a "number of unilateral actions", including making controversial statements regarding the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and threatening Premier of Ontario Doug Ford with legal action, without consulting with her caucus.[2] She remains in the legislature as an independent MPP.

That same day, the legislature voted to censure Jama in response to her statements. As a result, she is banned from speaking in the chamber until and unless she retracts and deletes her original statement and formally apologizes.

Background

Jama, a Somali Canadian Muslim. She was born with cerebral palsy and uses a walker or wheelchair for mobility.[3][4][5][6]

She attended McMaster University, where in 2016 she was fined for violating its election rules concerning spending limits and bad taste, as she unsuccessfully ran for president of the student union.[7] While at the university she was a member of the Young Communist League.[8] After graduating from McMaster with a social science degree, Jama settled in Hamilton, Ontario.[1][9]

Activism

In 2014 she wrote on disability justice issues for the magazine of the Young Communist League of Canada, Rebel Youth.[10] In 2016 she served as Ontario director for the National Educational Association of Disabled Students,[11] and was named one of Hamilton's "most interesting people" by the CBC for her work in organizing an "Anti-Racism Action Initiative" and her disability justice activism.[12] Jama co-founded the Disability Justice Network Ontario in September 2018, and cofounded the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, focusing on affordable housing access, in 2021.[1] In February 2021, she appeared before the Senate of Canada's legal and constitutional affairs committee to argue against the proposed Bill C-7, which she said made euthanasia more accessible for people with mental health disabilities, rather than providing mental health supports.[13]

In 2021, Jama was arrested by police in Beasley Park in central Hamilton at a protest against homeless encampment evictions in the city.[14] She was charged with obstructing police and assaulting a police officer.[15] Charges against her were later withdrawn after she entered into a peace bond.[16][17] The peace bond prohibited her from crossing police caution tape, interfering with police operations related to unhoused people, and participating in illegal or violent demonstrations.[18]

Politics

2022

Jama sought the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) nomination for member of Provincial Parliament (MPP; a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of Ontario) in the Hamilton Centre provincial by-election, after former MPP and NDP leader Andrea Horwath resigned to run for mayor.[19][20] Jama was named the NDP candidate in October 2022.[21][22]

2023

Jama's campaign garnered controversy after her statements describing Israel as an apartheid state resurfaced along with her demand for a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea" which implies the destruction of the State of Israel, and called Israel an “illegitimate” country, suggested Israel is funding the killing of people globally and locally, and accused Hamilton police of “protecting Nazism” and called for them to be abolished (she also tweeted: “Police in Ontario have a record of arbitrarily killing babies"), leading to a request by B'nai Brith Canada for the NDP to drop her as a candidate.[8][23][24][25][26][27] She later apologized for her statements.[28]

On 16 March 2023, Jama was elected as the MPP for Hamilton Centre, garnering 9,477 votes, comprising 54% of the vote.[29][30] CTV News political analyst Scott Reid said the only reason why Jama was elected is because she ran under the NDP banner.[31]

Khader Adnan controversy

In May 2023, Jama retweeted a post about the death of Palestinian prisoner and hunger-striker Khader Adnan, who was at one time a spokesperson of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is listed as a terrorist entity in Canada.[24] The post called him a "martyr for freedom."[23][24] B’nai Brith Canada criticized her for sharing the post, saying he was a convicted terrorist.[24] Solicitor General of Ontario Michael Kerzner said that Jama was “tripling down” on her past views.[24]

Censure by the Legislature

On 10 October 2023, two days after the mass killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas, recognized by Canada as a terror organization, which sparked the Israel–Hamas war, Jama generated controversy for posting a statement under Ontario NDP letterhead referring to "apartheid" and describing "continued violation of human rights in Gaza" by Israel without mentioning either Hamas or the massacre of Israeli civilians.[32][31][33][34] She also called for the "end [of] all occupation of Palestinian land and end [of] apartheid" and offered her sympathies to people mourning on both sides.[35]

Her statement was criticized by Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, and prompted Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser, Premier Doug Ford, and Jewish organizations such as Holocaust education group Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to call for her resignation from caucus.[35] Ford also publicly stated that Jama had a "long and well-documented history of antisemitism" and "hateful views", and that she "publicly support[ed] the rape and murder of innocent Jewish people," and called for her to resign.[36][34][37] In response to Ford's statement, Jama served Ford's office a cease and desist letter and threatened to sue him for libel.[34] Although Jama released her statements under NDP letterhead, the party was not made aware of the pending statement, and had not endorsed Jama's positions.[38] Stiles privately met with Jama asking her to remove the statement and apologize; Jama subsequently apologized for her posts in a reply to them about 24 hours later on Twitter, but refused to remove the statements--in defiance of party direction--and instead pinned her statement to the top of her feed on X.[38][31][39]

On 23 October 2023, the legislature voted 63-23 to censure Jama in response to her comments, calling them anti-Semitic, with all present NDP members voting against the censure.[40][31][41] As a result she is banned from speaking in the chamber until and unless she retracts and deletes her original statement and formally apologizes; instead, Jama has pinned it to the top of her X profile.[42][31]

Removal from the NDP caucus

Shortly thereafter, in light of Jama's actions over the preceding days, Jama was removed from the NDP caucus.[43] In an official party statement, Stiles noted that Jama had been uncooperative with NDP colleagues, making unilateral decisions without party endorsement and endangering the work environment of NDP staff, and had broken the terms of an agreement Stiles had made with Jama which would have kept her affiliated with the party following Jama's statements on the Israel–Hamas war.[38][2] Officials said that staff had worked with Jama on a statement, but it differed from what she said instead publicly in the moments preceding her expulsion. She also had not informed the party about her intention to threaten the Premier with legal action.[44] Two staff also quit over fear of death threats.[45] Stiles and the NDP caucus were also caught off-guard by Jama's appearance to debate the censure motion.[46] However, Jama said she was kicked out before the speech.[47][45] Jama said that she did not plan on apologizing.[48]

Open letter concerning rapes of Israeli women in Hamas attack

In November 2023 Jama penned, and was the first signatory of an open letter, that denied that Israeli women were subjected to rape and sexual violence on October 7 in the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[49][50][51][52]

Electoral record

2023 Hamilton Centre provincial by-election

Ontario provincial by-election, Hamilton Centre
Resignation of Andrea Horwath
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Sarah Jama 9,477 54.28 -2.98
Liberal Deirdre Pike 3,542 20.07 +7.04
Progressive Conservative Pete Wiesner 2,690 15.52 -0.95
Green Lucia Iannantuono 1,206 6.93 -1.84
New Blue Lee Weiss Vassor 148 0.84 -0.82
Electoral Reform Peter House 121 0.69
Libertarian Mark Snow 109 0.60
Independent Matthew Lingard 98 0.58
Independent Nathalie Xian Yi Yan 51 0.29 -0.21
Independent John Turmel 38 0.21
Total valid votes 17,612 +
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots -
Turnout 21.97 -15.97
Eligible voters 80,172
New Democratic hold Swing -5.01
Source: Elections Ontario[53]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Nicoll, Doreen (13 May 2022). "Sarah Jama works for justice for everyone". Rabble.
  2. ^ a b Beattie, Samantha; Hristova, Bobby (23 October 2023). "Ontario NDP kicks Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama from caucus after controversial Gaza comments; Party leader Marit Stiles says Jama's actions since her comments have 'broken the trust' of colleagues". CBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Why including people with disabilities in design is a win for all," CBC Radio, January 17, 2020.
  4. ^ Pinkerton, Charlie (27 March 2023). "Hamilton's new NDP MPP Sarah Jama introduced in the legislature". Burlington Today. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  5. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada, Zone Politique (23 October 2023). "Ontario NDP kicks Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama from caucus after controversial Gaza comments". Radio-Canada.
  6. ^ Jones, Allison (16 March 2023). "NDP wins provincial by election in Hamilton". CTV News Toronto.
  7. ^ "Following re-tabulation of votes, Justin Monaco-Barnes remains president-elect of the McMaster Students Union". McMaster Students Union. 5 February 2016.
  8. ^ a b "NDP candidate Sarah Jama's record shows she isn’t fit for public office," Toronto Sun. May 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Lucchetta, Carla (28 August 2019). "Why this advocate fights for disability justice — not just accessibility". TVO. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  10. ^ Sarah Jama (15 September 2014). "Ontario's Austerity Hurts Students With Disabilities". Rebel Youth. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. ^ Mattar, Pacinthe (21 October 2016). "Meet the next generation of disability activists 'calling for a revolution'". CBC. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  12. ^ "5 of Hamilton's most interesting people in 2016". CBC. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  13. ^ Alhmidi, Maan (8 February 2021). "New proposed assisted-dying law is 'racist,' says disability rights activist". CTVNews.
  14. ^ "Hamilton police arrest 3 people in connection to events at J.C. Beemer park; Arrests come days after police and protesters clashed during encampment eviction," CBC, November 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "WATCH: Another physical clash between Hamilton police and protestors leads to 3 more arrests over encampments | inTheHammer". insauga. 26 November 2021.
  16. ^ Saira Peesker (March 16, 2022). "Charges against 6 Hamilton encampment activists withdrawn, with all agreeing to peace-bond terms," CBC.
  17. ^ Clairmont, Susan (1 April 2022). "Hamilton activist Sarah Jama: 'I make people feel uncomfortable sometimes'". The Hamilton Spectator. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Charges against 6 Hamilton encampment activists withdrawn, with all agreeing to peace-bond terms". Yahoo News. 16 March 2022.
  19. ^ Hristova, Bobby (26 July 2022). "Disability activist Sarah Jama to seek nomination as Ontario NDP candidate for Hamilton Centre". CBC News. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  20. ^ Lisa Polewski (27 July 2022). "Local activist Sarah Jama to seek nomination as NDP candidate in Hamilton Centre". Global News.
  21. ^ Bobby Hristova (October 16, 2022). "NDP candidate Jama acclaimed" CBC.
  22. ^ "Sarah Jama chosen to be the NDP candidate in Hamilton Centre". Ontario NDP.
  23. ^ a b Geenen, Kevin (9 May 2023). "Hamilton Centre NDP MPP Sarah Jama under fire for tweet calling convicted terrorist 'martyr of freedom'". The Hamilton Independent.
  24. ^ a b c d e Laura Stone (3 May 2023). "Ontario NDP distances itself from newly elected MPP's Twitter repost about Palestinian hunger striker". The Globe and Mail.
  25. ^ Bryan Passifiume (15 March 2023). "Despite antisemitic comments, Ontario NDP still likely to win byelection". National Post.
  26. ^ "It's up to Hamilton voters — not MPPs — to censure Sarah Jama". National Post. 25 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Despite candidate's antisemitic comments, Ontario NDP still favoured to win Thursday byelection; 'There should be no room in the Legislature for a member whose demonizing of the Jewish state will only lead to more hate aimed at Jews'". National Post. 15 March 2023.
  28. ^ "NDP candidate at centre of Israel controversy apologizes for 'poor choice of words'". The Star. 16 March 2023.
  29. ^ Amanda Pope (16 March 2023). "NDP candidate Sarah Jama elected as Hamilton Centre MPP". CHCH.
  30. ^ Bobby, Hristova (16 March 2023). "NDP's Sarah Jama elected as next MPP for Hamilton Centre". CBC News.
  31. ^ a b c d e Katherine DeClerq (24 October 2023). "What to know about Sarah Jama's censure and ejection from NDP". CTV News.
  32. ^ Lucas Casaletto and Michael Ranger. "Ontario NDP MPP Jama removed from caucus, province passes motion to silence Hamilton legislator". Toronto CityNews.
  33. ^ Jama, Sarah (10 October 2023). "A Call For An Immediate Cease Fire". X/Twitter. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  34. ^ a b c Colin D'Mello & Isaac Callan (20 October 2023). "MPP Sarah Jama threatens to sue Premier Doug Ford over Israel-Hamas comments". Global News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  35. ^ a b Isaac Callan (11 October 2023). "MPP involved in Hamas-Israel comments controversy to remain part of Ontario NDP". Global News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  36. ^ "'It's not what she said, but what she did not say': Canadians weigh in on MPP Sarah Jama's stance on Israel, Palestine". Yahoo News. 11 October 2023.
  37. ^ Ford, Doug (11 October 2023). "Doug Ford on X". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  38. ^ a b c Casaletto, Lucas; Ranger, Michael (23 October 2023). "Ontario NDP MPP Sarah Jama removed from caucus". CityNews. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  39. ^ "Hamilton MPP kicked out of NDP caucus, censured by legislature; Sarah Jama was expelled from caucus and effectively silenced in the legislature for comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war". TVO Today.
  40. ^ Coleman, Joey (23 October 2023). "Joey's Notepad: On Sarah Jama's Removal from the NDP Caucus, the NDP's Divides, and Censure". TPR Hamilton.
  41. ^ Katherine DeClerq (23 October 2023). "Ontario MPP Sarah Jama censured and removed from NDP caucus over Israel-Gaza comments". CTV News. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  42. ^ "Ontario NDP kicks Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama from caucus after controversial Gaza comments"
  43. ^ Allison Jones and Liam Casey (23 October 2023). "Ontario Premier Ford's government passes motion to silence Hamilton legislator". Toronto Star. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  44. ^ DeClerq, Katherine (24 October 2023). "What to know about Sarah Jama's censure and ejection from NDP". CTV News Toronto.
  45. ^ a b Hristova, Bobby. "Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama says NDP removal was due to her 'early' call for ceasefire in Gaza". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  46. ^ Cohn, Martin Regg (24 October 2023). "Sarah Jama has deprived herself — and her constituents — of a voice in the legislature". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  47. ^ LaFleche, Grant (14 November 2023). "Hamilton-Centre MPP Sarah Jama vows to fight on, braces for legal battle with Premier Ford as an independent MPP". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  48. ^ Grant LaFleche (7 November 2023). "'I don't plan on apologizing,' says Hamilton-Centre's Sarah Jama". The Spectator.
  49. ^ "U of A Sexual Assault Centre signs Jama's letter denying Jewish rapes". Toronto Sun. 17 November 2023.
  50. ^ Bradley, Jonathan (15 November 2023). "WATCH: Sarah Jama denies Israeli women raped by Hamas". Western Standard.
  51. ^ Jane Stevenson (15 November 2023). "Sarah Jama calls Hamas attack on Israeli women, babies misinformation". Toronto Sun.
  52. ^ Jennifer Ivanov (18 November 2023). "U of A fires director of Sexual Assault Centre for signing letter questioning attacks on Israeli women". Global News.
  53. ^ "Vote Totals Report From Official Tabulation - Hamilton Centre". Elections Ontario. 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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