The Manitoba Islamic Association (MIA) has apologized after suggesting that the young man who self-immolated at a Winnipeg mosque did so out of distress caused by Gazan ‘genocide.’
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon on the eve of Eid, an Islamic holiday celebrated by Muslims across the globe.
The MIA referenced the Israel-Hamas war in its initial statement, saying that the conflict “is impacting so many people beyond the boundaries of our community.”
•On Saturday a youth self-immolated in a Winnipeg mosque. •the Manitoba Islamic Association suggested without details it was due to “genocide in Gaza”. Then they retracted this and apologized for “contributing to misconceptions,” removing any mention of Gaza. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/DbSpjAcMkM— Jesse Brown (@JesseBrown) June 19, 2024
“We cannot have positive mental health in the context of a racist, Islamophobic and genocidal world. And we cannot alleviate mental health concerns in a world that does not prioritize mental health as health,” it said.
Now, the MIA is issuing an apology, saying that their statement’s wording “contributed to misconceptions and misunderstandings.”
A police spokesperson indicated that no further details are expected to be released at this time.
A young man lit himself on fire inside of the Waverley Grand Mosque in Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon, taking his own life on the eve of Eid al-Adha, celebrated by Muslims across the world. https://t.co/h7KW0FwjLj— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 19, 2024
The suicide is the latest act of self-immolation to make headlines, where left-wing activists try to manipulate public sentiment. In February, Aaron Bushnell, 25, set himself on fire in what he called an “extreme act of protest.”
Bushnell did so while screaming “free Palestine,” saying before the immolation that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.”
The act was committed outside of the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.
Another man, this time in New York, also lit himself on fire in April outside of the courthouse where former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial was taking place. The man died from the damage he sustained.
The Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that the man, identified as Max Azzarello, had thrown pamphlets on the ground around where he committed the act.
The pamphlets were described by Kenny as being “propaganda-based” about Ponzi schemes and conspiracy theories. Azzarello was not believed to have been targeting any group or person.
