PETITION: To Trudeau, Canadians Stand Against Hate Crimes

Dear Mr. Trudeau,
In your victory speech, you chose to share a certain story with Canadians about a Muslim woman who wears the hijab. “She said she’s voting for us because she wants to make sure that her little girl has the right to make her own choices in life and that the government would protect those rights.” You then made a promise to us Canadians. “To her I say this: you and your fellow citizens have chosen a new government… that believes deeply in the diversity of our country.”

There have been one too many hate crimes towards Canadian Muslims in the last few days. Below are but only two incidents that the media chose to cover. On November 14, an incident of arson occurred at the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association’s mosque just an hour after people were there celebrating the birth of a baby. On November 16, a Muslim woman picking up her children from school in Toronto was physically assaulted by two men. These people have been traumatized in their own home, our beloved Canada.

The enemy is not the baby’s family in the mosque in Peterborough. Nor is the enemy the woman picking up her children from school in Toronto. Rather, our foe is a group that operates in cowardice under the guise of religion. It is an extremist and perverted version of Islamic ideology that the vast majority of Muslims abhor. Their ideology is one that is unfounded in Islam where if they but open the Quran, they would read that “there is no compulsion in religion” and “whoever kills a person, it is as though he has killed all of mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” Today, Muslims and non-Muslims from around the world unite in the denouncement of the likes of ISIS/ISIL. Thousands of people lost their lives leaving orphans behind, and millions became refugees or internally displaced. By and large, the Muslim population has endured severe victimization from this group who has hijacked an entire religion to propagate its twisted political ideology.

Picture of Three year old Syrian-Kurd boy Aylan Kurdi, lying dead on Turkey’s Bodrum beach.

I reiterate, the enemy is not the baby’s family in the mosque in Peterborough. Nor is the enemy the woman picking up her children from school in Toronto. And Canadians know this. That is why Christian and Jewish leaders amongst other community groups in Peterborough offered their support to the Mosque. And that is why three roommates — from New York City, Egypt, and Paris stood at a Montreal Metro station on November 16 with hands locked together and signs reading, “he is my roommate and best friend,” and “these are my brothers”. Now more than ever before, we must remain united in the fight against terrorism, vowing that “they will not separate us”.

Mr. Trudeau, today I reach out to you with this letter because I believe in what you said in your victory speech. As the leader of this all-inclusive, multicultural nation, you have the power to inspire real change and enforce the laws that uphold the Canadian values of openness, respect and compassion. Without a unified voice and outright public condemnation, these hate crimes will continue to spread and escalate and in doing so, marginalize an entire group of Canadians. Your leadership on this matter is urgent. As Canadian citizens who supported you, we are holding you and your government accountable to the promise you made during your victory speech. Mr. Trudeau, what are you going to do?

Yours truly,

Concerned Canadians against hate crimes!