Hundreds gathered and marched through Harriston Monday night, spreading the message that hatred has no place in Minto.
Members of the Minto Cultural Roundtable and concerned citizens were supported by the Town of Minto in a solidarity march against Islamophobic
A post on the TikTok social media platform featured a person in their Harriston home making references about a recent murder of a Muslim family in London and directing it towards a local Syrian family walking outside.
A rally was organized in response over the weekend.
A crowd gathered at the grounds of the Harriston Arena to begin their march and hear from locals denouncing hatred.
Ahmad Almohamad, whose family members were the subject of the video, told the crowd he came to Canada full of hope and looking for a more peaceful life for his family.
He called for the crowd to work against racism in their community, speaking in both English and Arabic.
“We were sad to hear the news about the family in London. On behalf of the Syrian community in the County of Wellington, I denounce ugly hate crimes,” Almohamad said.
“I call for action to stop Islamophobia. To stop hate, let's work together to fight hate.”
Krista Fisk, a friend of the Almohamad family, told the crowd the OPP located the individual who made the video and spoke to them. They also assured Almohamad his family is safe.
Mohammad Alhawari, also a Syrian refugee now living in Drayton, said he is proud to be in Canada but was very saddened by how Muslim Canadians are feeling right now.
“I was following the news and an old lady was talking and she said ‘We came to Canada to be safe but we don’t feel safe,’ that broke my heart,” Alhawari said.
“To be honest, her feeling is shame on all of us. Canada is not just a map, anyone who lives on this map is meant to be Canadian and we all have a responsibility to live together peacefully.”
The crowd marched away from the arena and then up and down Elora Street and back to the arena where five candles were lit in honour of the four Afzaal and Salman family members killed in London and for the 215 Indigenous children’s remains found in Kamloops, BC.
Peggy Raftis, Minto Cultural Roundtable chair, asked the crowd to carry on working against hatred beyond the walk.
“This is a personal commitment, whether it’s getting educated, listening to the people experiencing racism, speaking up against it, just make a commitment,” Raftis said to the crowd.
