Sarah Jama

Jama was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility.[3] After graduating from McMaster University with a social science degree, Jama settled in Hamilton, Ontario.[1][4] She is of Somali descent.[5]

In 2016, Jama was named one of Hamilton's "most interesting people" by the CBC, for her work in organizing an "Anti-Racism Action Initiative" and her disability justice activism.[6] Jama co-founded the Disability Justice Network Ontario in September 2018.[1] She had previously served as Ontario director for the National Educational Association of Disabled Students,[7] and had written on disability justice issues for the magazine of the Young Communist League of Canada, Rebel Youth.[8] In February 2021, she appeared before the Senate of Canada's legal and constitutional affairs committee to argue against the proposed Bill C-7, which she said made euthanasia more accessible for people with mental health disabilities, rather than providing mental health supports.[9]

In early 2021, she cofounded the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, focusing on affordable housing access.[1] That same year, Jama received media attention when she was arrested in Hamilton while at a protest against homeless encampment evictions in the city.[10] She was accused of obstructing and assault of a police officer.[11] Charges were later withdrawn after she entered into a peace bond.[12][13]

In July 2022, Jama announced that she would seek the NDP nomination in the Hamilton Centre by-election, after former MPP and NDP leader Andrea Horwath resigned to run for mayor.[14][15] Jama was acclaimed as the NDP candidate in October 2022.[16][17] Jama's campaign garnered controversy after her statements describing Israel as an apartheid state resurfaced, leading to a request by B'nai Brith Canada for the NDP to drop her as a candidate.[18] She later apologized for her statements.[19]

On 16 March 2023, Jama was elected as the MPP for Hamilton Centre, garnering 54.28 percent of the vote.[20][21]

On 10 October 2023, three days after the mass killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas which sparked the Israel–Hamas war, Jama generated controversy for a statement referring to "apartheid" and describing "continued violation of human rights in Gaza" by Israel without specifically mentioning the massacre of Israeli civilians.[22][23] She also called for the "end [of] all occupation of Palestinian land and end [of] apartheid" and offered her sympathies to people mourning on both sides.[24] Her statement was criticized by Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, and prompted Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser, Premier Doug Ford, and Jewish organizations like Holocaust education group Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to call for her resignation from caucus.[24] Ford also publicly stated that Jama had a "long and well-documented history of antisemitism" and "hateful views", and that she "publicly support[ed] the rape and murder of innocent Jewish people."[23][25] In response to Ford's statement, Jama served Ford's office a cease and desist letter and threatened to sue him for libel.[23] Although Jama released her statements under NDP letterhead, the party was not made aware of the pending statement and had not endorsed Jama's positions.[26] Stiles privately met with Jama asking her to remove the statement and apologize; Jama subsequently apologized for the posts in a reply to them on X but refused to remove the statements in defiance of party direction.[26]

On 23 October 2023, the legislature voted to censure Jama in response to her comments, with all present NDP members voting against the censure.[27] Shortly thereafter, in light of Jama's actions over the preceding days, it was announced that Jama was being removed from the NDP caucus.[28] In an official party statement, Stiles noted that Jama had been uncooperative with NDP colleagues, making unilateral decisions without party endorsement and endangering the work environment of NDP staff, and had broken the terms of an agreement made between Stiles and Jama which would have kept her affiliated with the party following Jama's statements on the Israel–Hamas war.[26][2] Officials told CTV News Toronto that staff worked with Jama on a statement, but it differed from what she said publically in the moments preceding her explusion. She also had not informed the party about her intentions to threaten the Premier with Legal Action.[29] Stiles and the NDP caucus were also caught off-guard by her appearance to debate the censure motion.[30]