Edmonton’s Palestinian community believes it was discriminated against by the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association.
The Canada Palestine Cultural Association has applied to have a tent at the festival three times, but was rejected each time. Members were told there wasn’t enough space, and a board member allegedly said Palestine is not a country.
“People felt that by saying Palestine is not a country we felt that’s a political reason to not give us a tent,” Moussa Qasqas, a member of the local association, told CTV News.
Palestine is recognized as a state by the United Nations General Assembly.
Jim Gibbon, the festival’s director, maintains the board does not make political decision and it “always” comes down to space.
The festival has 11 countries grandfathered in, and tents that have been a part of the event for five years or more are automatically accepted.
“People think it’s 100 applicants for 70 spots,” Gibbon said. “It’s really 35 applicants for five spots. The board agonizes over it because you’re trying to get in as many people as you can and we're just so restricted by space that it makes it really hard.”
The Palestinian society considered filing a human rights complaint, but the two parties agreed to meet later this year to discuss the situation.
“I’m glad we went about it this way rather than just butting heads,” Qasqas said.
“For such a disenfranchised community, it’s very important for us to make sure we don't lose our heritage and we don’t lose our culture.”
With files from Nahreman Issa
