We live in a complicated time.
The post-pandemic era is marred with devastating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East that are putting democracies and the Western World to the test.
The toll of these wars is being felt in Canada as well. We are inundated with disinformation that twists the truth and drives wedges between communities.
What an irony it is, then, that Indigo and its CEO Heather Reisman have been the target of a vile coordinated attack intent on doing harm to her business — a business whose very raison d’etre is to promote reading, education and tolerance for everyone — for the simple reason that she is Jewish and supports a charitable effort in Israel.
Since last October 7, when Hamas murdered nearly 1200 people, including eight Canadians, Indigo stores around the country have been subjected to vandalism and bombarded with vitriol. Storefronts have been sprayed with blood-red paint and graffitied with the repulsive and libelous slogan “Indigo Kills Kids”.
Ms. Reisman, her family, and employees have been defamed as supporters of genocide and apartheid. Her customers have been exposed to threats and harassment. And protestors have swarmed and impeded access to outlets, while shouting epithets and fear mongering.
This is exactly what the antagonists want, namely, to undermine Ms. Reisman and Indigo. A boycott of this nature is discriminatory and often dangerous to public safety.
More corrosive is the underlying motive of these protests, which is to spread the mistruth that Ms. Reisman funds the military activities of the Israeli Defence Forces. This is a lie. And those who are spreading it know it is a lie.
The fact is that Ms. Reisman and her husband Gerry Schwartz fund the charitable foundation HESEG which offers scholarships to young Israelis, former soldiers without family support, who have been accepted to accredited universities in Israel. This is a philanthropic endeavor that is focused on providing support to those in need.
But why deal in truths when it’s so much easier for perpetrators of hate to resort to one of the oldest conspiracy theories of all: that Jews and Israel are at the root of all the world’s problems.
The antidote to antisemitism, and indeed all hate, is, of course, knowledge, education, and learning from the harsh lessons that history has taught us.
Perhaps that’s why Indigo poses such a threat to those who wish to tear down our society, because of what its books offer to all of us: stories that can help us see our humanity in one another.
We Canadians are a good people. We uphold a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that promotes respect and dignity for all. We care for each other, especially in times of need, and we care what happens beyond our borders.
We hold different views about the conflict in the Middle East. But the vast majority, if not all Canadians, decry the loss of any civilian life. Most want to see the war end, with Israelis and Palestinians living in peace, side-by-side.
As we try to navigate these troubling times, the enduring strength of our country lies in our ability to engage in respectful discourse, to protest what we disagree on peacefully, and to strive to find common ground.
As Canadians, we must ask ourselves: what kind of society do we want to be? One where lies and hatred can proliferate unchecked, or one where truth, respect, and understanding prevail, even or especially when we disagree?
We should all take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to these principles, to stand united against hatred and falsehood, and to work together to build a more inclusive and respectful society.
In doing so, we honour the best of what it means to be Canadian.
Marco Medicino is the Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence and former minister of public safety
National Post