Vice President-elect JD Vance issued his support to embattled Christians in Canada in a post to his X account. Responding to a post by Jamil Jivani, a member of the Canadian Parliament, he slammed journalists for ignoring persecuted Christians. In the original post, Jivani introduced a petition designed to protect Christians in Canada and asked for signatures.
Canada has been rocked by anti-Christian violence. Since 2021, when indigenous activists claimed to have discovered evidence of abuse in church schools, 112 churches have been vandalized or burnt to the ground. Of the 33 Churches set ablaze, 24 have been confirmed arson attacks. Many of the destroyed buildings, such as St. Gregory’s in British Columbia, have stood for over 100 years.
On July 15, 2021, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc tribe, issued a statement claiming to have found evidence of nearly 200 unmarked child graves at a residential school near Kamloops B.C. Residential Schools were boarding schools sponsored by the Canadian government from 1831-1998 and staffed by local churches. These schools were set up to integrate indigenous children into Canadian society. However, they have also featured in elaborate conspiracies where some activists allege children were neglected and their remains hidden. Since the scandal broke, no human remains have been found.
The Chief who made the initial statement, Rosanne Casimir, later recanted her words stating “This is not a mass grave.” However other politicians were not so honest. Justin Trudeau’s top advisor, tweeted that it “may be understandable” to burn down churches in response to these allegation. Trudeau himself would issue a soft condemnation of the violence but reiterated that he “understood” the anger.
Jamil Jivani, who serves as the Conservative representative for Durham, took to X on the 3rd of December to make his displeasure known. In a video posted to his official account, he introduced a petition to protect Christians in Canada. He mentioned the violence many churches are facing but also took time to call out the ways that the Trudeau government has been violating the parental and religious rights of his citizens.
In response to this post, Max Fawcett, lead columnist for Canada’s National Observer, stated “So much of contemporary Conservatism revolves around cultivating and validating a sense of victimhood in groups that aren’t actually victims.” Max seems to believe that the vandalism and arson Christians face in Canada are part of a false sense of victimhood cultivated by the Conservative Party. If violence on this scale doesn’t meet the standards for persecution, nothing will.
Vice President-Elect JD Vance, refuted this comment by Fawcett. Vance tweeted ” Canada has seen a number of church burnings in recent years thanks to anti-Christian bigotry. All over the world, Christians are the most persecuted religious group. Jamil is speaking the truth. Shame on journalists who refuse to see what’s obvious.”
In the video, MP Jivani lays out the oppression Christians face in Canada for their faith. He also asks for believers, both from Canada and abroad, to support his petition. “Take a stand. Make your voice heard,” the MP said,” ..we need as many people as possible to show their support for the Christian Community.”