As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches, a national Islamic organization and many local groups have warned members of parliament that they will not be welcomed in their mosques unless they demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, call for the restoration of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and condemn what they call Israeli "war crimes."

An open letter signed by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and a number of prominent mosques, obtained by CBC News, stated that MPs who refuse to make these pledges publicly "will not be provided a platform to address our gatherings."

The letter stated: "If you cannot publicly commit to all of the above, respectfully, we cannot provide you a platform to address our gatherings."

"Ramadan is about humanity. This Ramadan, more than ever, only those MPs who share our commitment to humanity will be welcomed to address us in our sacred places."

The letter, which will be published today, also states that MPs should oppose the "flow of weapons and military equipment" to Israel and defend "the right of Canadians to express solidarity with the Palestinian people without fear of retaliation."

The Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) is one of hundreds of organizations that signed the letter. CCI director Abdelfattah Towakel said the letter aims to send a "message" to politicians.

He said, "It is essential that those in positions of power and responsibility... call for a stop to the killing."

He added, "We expect... that elected government officials and those placed in these positions represent the population, and this is what we expect regarding representation of the Muslim community and others."

In response to a question about the letter on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would visit any mosque he is invited to.

Trudeau told a CBC reporter in Cape Breton: "I will continue to visit Canadians across the country to connect with communities, especially the Muslim community that is hurting because of what is happening on the other side of the world."

The prime minister added that he will continue to push for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, the release of hostages, and to deliver more aid to the area.

The war in Gaza began after the attack on October 7, 2023, in Israel by militants led by Hamas in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli accounts, including many Canadian citizens. Israel responded with a military attack on the Gaza Strip that killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials.

Hamas held 253 hostages in the attack, according to Israeli officials. About 130 of them remain in Gaza.

The region is preparing for an imminent ground invasion of Rafah, the last safe area in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces claim that Hamas fighters are hiding there.

Late last month, the International Court of Justice issued an emergency provisional ruling on South Africa's claim that the war in Gaza amounts to genocide. The court ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement to genocide in its Gaza war, but did not go as far as ordering a ceasefire.

This ruling caused a split in the liberal government caucus, with some MPs calling for an immediate ceasefire while others rejected genocide allegations.

After Israel claimed that 12 or 13 United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff participated in varying capacities in the October 7 attack, Canada suspended federal funding to the agency.

Towakel said MPs who refuse to sign these pledges risk losing "political capital within our communities."

Mosques and Islamic community organizations are popular stops for politicians' campaigns. Trudeau has visited mosques across the country for pre-Ramadan events, where he was previously welcomed by crowds of supporters.

But since October, Trudeau has found himself targeted by protesters angry at his government's approach to the Gaza war.

Trudeau and Joly's statements were widely and incorrectly portrayed in mainstream media and social media as rejecting the International Court of Justice case in South Africa and siding with Israel. In fact, their statements carefully avoided rejecting or endorsing South Africa’s case against Israel.

Towakel said Canadian Muslims are not willing to accept "symbolism" or "empty words and false promises."

He added, "We’ve moved beyond that at this stage because people are dying and things must change, this must stop."

Satchi Coral, head of the Angus Reid Institute, said liberals have been courting the Muslim community since 2015.

She added, "Think again about the policies of 2014-2015, and think of the era of the hotline for barbaric cultural practices established by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and other things that made Canadian Muslims feel completely marginalized."

Coral confirmed the letter indicates that the Muslim community is eager to be "taken seriously."

She continued, "It is about the diaspora community in this country flexing its political muscles at this time and saying: do not come to our home, do not come to our community unless you are prepared to make certain commitments."