A Toronto high school’s decision to play an Arabic version of “O Canada” on Oct. 7 — the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 and kidnapping of 251 in southern Israel — was not an act of inclusion. It was a calculated political statement.

The only official versions of “O Canada,” as defined by the federal National Anthem Act, are in English and French. Other languages may be shared culturally, but never as a replacement. The decision to broadcast an Arabic version on Oct. 7 by Earl Haig Secondary School was an unmistakable act of defiance.

To his credit, Education Minister Paul Calandra responded swiftly, issuing a late-night statement on X, saying, “It is hard to believe that no one recognized the significance of this day.” Referencing the National Anthem Act, he also threa

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