Anti-hate, anti-Islamophibia meeting held in Bowmanville reaches capacity quickly

A meeting held in Bowmanville Tuesday evening to address Islamophobic hate being spread in the community attracted a full house of residents eager to tell their neighbours that “all are welcome,” and in the words of Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster, “hate has no place in Clarington.”

A group of concerned Clarington citizens organized the meeting at the Garnet Rickard Complex to show support for a Muslim family who have been victims a “coordinated campaign of white supremacist harassment” that prompted the National Council of Canadian Muslims to speak out on the issue at a press conference in the community last week.

What started as an online conspiracy theory that an illegal slaughterhouse is in operation at a farm on Middle Road in Bowmanville escalated on social media to a campaign of intimidation, hate, and extremist threats targeting Mohsin Bhuiyan and his family after allegations of an abattoir operating on the farm began circulating for several months on a Facebook site called Bring CHANGE to Clarington, with claims repeated by the page’s followers of animal cruelty and of poultry being mass slaughtered on the premises.

The evidence to back up the claims has been limited to sometimes disturbing images of dead poultry and ads for chickens for sale, both of unknown date and origin. Foster has said that an investigation into the allegations by bylaw officers has not uncovered any evidence of wrongdoing.

Foster was at the meeting and said the event focused on listening, learning and understanding one another. “People of all faiths … stood together to share a voice and underline that every person deserves to be treated with dignity, and that hatred directed at any group is a threat to us all.”

“Clarington’s strength has never come from everyone sharing the same background, faith or life experience. Our strength comes from the values we share – respect, compassion and a commitment to looking out for one another. We are not strong because we come from the same place. We are strong because we have chosen to come to the same place: a community where everyone can belong. This is the Clarington I’m proud to live in.”

The meeting was in a privately rented room and the only requirement to attend was a RVSP, with the room reaching capacity quickly.

“We are at capacity for the room that we booked. We hope that this is an initial step in conversation, understanding and support,” said Bridget Girard, a former Liberal hopeful who was one of the organizers.

Some people still believed they were discriminated because they couldn’t attend, however:

• If you open it to the public, then it could be considered discriminatory to exclude people because you don’t like them – Michael
• I’ve never been more disappointed in our so-called mayor and Council – Liam
• Try posting the truth about what happened. This whole situation was about laws being broken. It was not racist – Fiona

Others were supportive of the event and the limitations of room capacity:

• We are so thankful to live in a community like Clarington that stands tall when this type of phobia against our neighbours is evident – Jim
• It is a private rental; the event was open to the public via RSVP. There is a room capacity and that was filled – Mark

Liberal MPs in Durham Region all expressed their support for the Bhuiyan family on their own social media posts, including Juanita Nathan (Pickering-Brooklin), Ryan Turnbull (Whitby) and Jennifer McKelvie (Ajax), while their Conservative counterparts were silent, except for Bowmanville-Oshawa North MP Jamal Jivani who devoted his time on Facebook this week to criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for “forcing some communities to re-brand Canada Day celebrations as Multicultural Day celebrations or lose funding.”

Resident Beverley Burr, who has been active on the issue, took to social media to say any candidate who endorses this type of divisive politics shouldn’t be running for office.

“Anyone spreading, excusing, or amplifying this kind of hate, intimidation, Islamophobia, and white supremacist rhetoric has no place in public office or in Clarington, period,” she said.

“Let’s stop pretending this is ‘just politics’ or a disagreement over local issues. It isn’t. When a Muslim family in our community is being targeted with conspiracy theories, harassment, death threats, extremist rhetoric, and calls that echo white supremacist violence, that is not debate. That is hate. That is intimidation. And it is dangerous.”

Foster said the meeting was a time for the community “to send a clear and powerful message: hate has no place in Clarington.”

Foster thanked the organizers and community leaders for speaking up in support of Clarington’s values of inclusion, respect and belonging. “These voices reflect the very best of Clarington: courage, compassion, and a determination to stand together in the face of hate.”

“Let us continue that work—not only in moments of challenge, but every day – by choosing kindness over division, facts over misinformation, and community over fear.”