Politics is embedded in every part of my life. Not in the distant, abstract sense, of headlines and news on social media we scroll through, but in the impact politics has on my reality.
As a woman of colour, a visibly Muslim person, politics is never something I can opt out of.
I live it daily. It shows up when I’m walking down the street and receive a sideways glance, or worse. It shows up in boardrooms and introductory conversations, where I have to navigate assumptions and stereotypes.
And since Oct 2023, many things changed and now genocide is ongoing in Gaza. Those who used to claim “political neutrality” suddenly have a lot to say.
The International Court of Justice has found that there is a ‘plausible risk’ of genocide unfolding in Gaza. A statement that should have galvanized the world, but instead was met with deafening silence from many leaders.
How can we go on about our lives when the genocide is still ongoing. So many women and children. And yes, men and elderly too. The loss is staggering.
What I have taken a note of, since the start of the Canadian election early this year, and as U.S. political discourse bleeds into our own Canadian landscape, especially in tech and media, how emboldened right-wing voices have become.
Many of them, white men in the Canadian tech ecosystem, who’ve previously proclaimed “political neutrality”, now express their political views loudly. These views are often right-wing / fascist leaning and support oppressing groups and underrepresented people.
They’ve supported right-leaning candidates, commented on the economy, advocated for policies that benefit the wealthy. And yet, when the marginalized speak out about racism, war, or state violence, we are told that politics has no place in “professional spaces.”
This double standard is the very definition of privilege: being able to speak freely when it benefits you, and demanding silence from others when their truth makes you uncomfortable.
Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when people feel safe and valued. When human rights are under attack, when entire communities are dehumanized, innovation and our work in general suffers.
The Muslim community over the past two years have not only felt racism and Islamophobia at a high level, but our very sense of belonging in Canada has been shaken.
We’re unable to continue our day to day work when so much human loss is happening. How do we even begin to think about doing work, let alone having a productive and positive day?
To remain ‘neutral’ is to deny the reality that progress, economical or technological, can’t exist without equity and justice.
I saw a post from Ms Rachel yesterday. My kids love her. And her post was titled “Leaders, be ashamed”. It was talking about the Gaza genocide, and the ongoing silence from political leaders against the killing of children. Bless her. She’s putting everything on the line to speak up. And yet groups are calling for her silence
The reality is, politics is personal for us. Especially for marginalized communities. Especially for Palestinians. Especially for those of us watching a genocide unfold.
It’s hard to separate my identity from my values, from the policies that govern my life and the lives of others like me. Speaking up hasn’t been a political act for me, it’s a human one. And yet, it’s not an easy one at that.
I’m also allowing myself to feel a glimmer of hope. With Mark Carney stepping into leadership as the new Prime Minister, there is an opportunity for him to create change. His early actions suggest he’s listening, on the economy, on foreign policy, and on the need for a more inclusive and just society.
I hope his leadership signals a shift: one where we prioritize human rights over profit. And where compassion isn’t weaponized and afforded to only some and not others.
This moment demands more from all of us.
Inclusive Entrepreneurship 