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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

‘Wall of silence must come down,’

say Black and Jewish leaders in aftermath of Toronto violence spree

 

TORONTO, September 17, 2008 – The GTA Faith Alliance and B’nai Brith Canada have again joined forces to denounce in the strongest terms the violent rampages on Toronto’s streets. Yesterday alone saw three youth murdered and another seriously wounded in four separate attacks. Reverend Don Meredith, Chair of the GTA Faith Alliance, and Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada, sent their condolences to the families of the individuals who were tragically murdered. The two leaders also issued a joint statement calling for the public to “wake up to the realities on the ground” and do their part to help bring about an end to escalating youth violence.

“We are in a deep crisis and it will necessitate the joint efforts of all sectors of our community working together in tandem if we are to emerge victorious,” said Reverend Don Meredith, Chair of the GTA Faith Alliance.

“There is currently a wall of silence that prevails, which encourages witnesses to go into hiding, and prevents good citizens from coming forward and cooperating with police. This deafening silence extends beyond just the Jane and Finch community. It gives license to other communities to choose a path of inaction and to believe falsely that the problem of youth violence belongs to another community and is not endemic to theirs. We must abandon this flawed logic that has reaped devastating consequences.”

 

“We join with GTA Faith Alliance to condemn yesterday’s tragic violence and to call for decisive action,” said Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “The responsibility for safety and security rests with communities, where parents play an integral role in the lives of their children and teachers work closely with students to promote the need for civic involvement. This responsibility for securing communities rests also with police officers who must be supported in their efforts to apprehend suspects and equipped with the tools they need to perform their vital, often dangerous, community service.” 

 

Revered Meredith and Frank Dimant also called on elected officials at municipal, provincial and federal levels to actively “support grassroots efforts to deal with the kind of shootings we witnessed yesterday.” The two leaders, who had urged the creation of a youth commission led by the Hon. Roy McMurtry and Alvin Curling, want to see more concrete action take place as a matter of urgency.  

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For further information contact Reverend Don Meredith, Chair, GTA Faith Alliance at 416-990-0572

 

or Karen Lazar, Director of Communications, B’nai Brith Canada

416-633-6224 X 140 office / 416-312-9173 cell

 

B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875

as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights organization