Legal group apologizes after disinviting Peace by Chocolate owner over Gaza comment [Video]

A national legal group has apologized and begun an internal review after facing widespread criticism from outside groups and within its own ranks for cancelling a speech by a prominent Syrian refugee.

The Advocates’ Society last month rescinded an invitation to Tareq Hadhad, owner of the Nova Scotia confectioner Peace by Chocolate, to speak at an event in June after some members expressed concern with the refugee-turned-entrepreneur’s posts about the ongoing Middle East conflict.

A May 27, 2024, post by Hadhad on the social media platform X talks about the Israel-Hamas war, saying children should wake up to the sounds of birds not bombs and “this genocide must be stopped.”

In a statement, Hadhad said he was shown the complaint made about his speaking engagement, which suggested he was indifferent to the suffering inflicted on Israelis when Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage on Oct. …