On May 11th, Bissan Eid gave birth to Sarah- a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Despite the difficult circumstances faced by Bissan and by medical workers in Gaza due to the Israeli military siege, local healthcare workers struggled to support Bissan to the best of their abilities and Sarah was born safely.
Having first requested support from the Canadian government in early 2017, the Eid family issued a public appeal in April 2017. Bissan’s struggle to return home was met with the support of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA), along with many workers and faculty at Concordia University. A petition launched last month received over 850 signatures, while a Concordia-specific open letter obtained 165 signatories from the Concordia community. Public statements have been published by the School of Community and Public Affairs, the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, and the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association, while Amnesty International Quebec has also called for the Canadian government to take action in support of Bissan.
After many months and considerable public pressure, the Canadian government finally responded, but their offer of support arrived too late in Bissan’s pregnancy. As such, Bissan was forced to give birth in Gaza- far away from her immediate family and from the medical facilities that she should have been able to access in Montreal.
Today, we are calling on the Canadian government to take action and follow through on their responsibilities to support Bissan and Sarah. More specifically, we ask that they expedite the processing of Sarah’s citizenship papers in a timely fashion. We also demand that they continue to pressure the Israeli government to ensure that exit permits are issued and safe passage is ensured for Bissan and Sarah as soon as they are ready to travel in early June.
Tadamon! is calling on groups, organizations, and individuals to lend their support and solidarity in the following ways :
* Please post and share this update and graphic in solidarity with Bissan . If you are able to get involved in organizing to support Bissan, please get in touch at: info(at)tadamon.ca
* We are seeking letters of support from groups and organizations. If you can write a letter, please contact us at: info(at)tadamon.ca
* We are calling on people to call or e-mail Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pressure the Israeli government to accept Bissan’s application for a Gaza exit permit in order to travel from Gaza to Jordan, and then fly to Canada. You can reach them through the contact information below :
Justin Trudeau
1100 Crémazie East, Suite 220
Montréal, Quebec, H2P 2X2
Telephone: 514-277-6020
Fax: 514-277-3454
E-mail : justin.trudeau(at)parl.gc.ca
Chyristia Freeland
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Telephone: 613-992-5234
Fax: 613-996-9607
E-mail: chrystia.freeland(at)parl.gc.ca
