Wesal TV(Whitby): Durham Regional Council in Ontario, amid growing concerns about Islamophobia and online hate targeting Muslims, passed an urgent motion asking Durham Regional Police to review publicly available posts and provide quarterly updates on efforts to address hate-motivated crimes.
The motion was introduced after councillors raised concerns about a wave of disturbing social media posts, particularly in Clarington. According to some members of council, the posts included anti-Muslim content, claims about a drone flying over an Islamic school, and language that could fuel hostility or violence against the Muslim community.
The motion, introduced by Adrian Foster, a regional councillor and the mayor of Clarington, and seconded by Granville Anderson, was brought forward at the June 24 council meeting as a walk-on motion after council suspended the rules with the required two-thirds vote. It passed with 18 votes in favour, none opposed, and 11 of the 29 council members absent.
The motion has recently been sent to all lower-tier municipalities in Durham Region, Durham Regional Police Service, Members of Provincial Parliament, Members of Parliament and relevant community-based organizations.
The motion states that hate propaganda, discrimination and threats of violence against individuals or communities based on religion are contrary to the values of Durham Region and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It also says recent public online statements and posts have raised “serious concerns about Islamophobia and rhetoric that may be interpreted as promoting hostility or violence against Muslim communities.”
The motion further states: “Regional Council hereby strongly condemns Islamophobia, hate speech, and any rhetoric that promotes or justifies violence against Muslim individuals or communities.” Council also reaffirmed its commitment to building a community where all residents feel “safe, respected, and supported.”
The motion was passed after Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy had also voiced support for the Muslim community, following what she described as hundreds of racist, anti-Muslim, insulting and threatening comments under a post on her Facebook page.
Roy wrote that after attending an event organized by ICNA Sisters Whitby, a non-profit Muslim women’s group, she shared a photo from the gathering on social media. Within hours, she said, hundreds of comments appeared under the post, many of them racist, anti-Muslim, insulting and threatening.
The concerns also come after a Muslim family in Bowmanville, Clarington, recently said they faced harassment, threats, protests near their home and a drone flying over their property following the spread of misinformation and baseless allegations on social media. According to CityNews, Mohsin Bhuiyan, who operates a small farm on his residential property, said the accusations have made his family feel unsafe.
These cases have been raised as part of broader concerns about online hate and harassment targeting Muslims in the region, with any potential investigation left to police and the relevant authorities.
Under the motion, council asked the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) to review publicly available materials and respond accordingly, including by using legal tools related to hate propaganda or incitement to violence. Police were also asked to determine whether further investigative steps or charges are warranted under applicable law.
Police were also asked to provide an update in their next quarterly report to council on the service’s efforts to address hate speech and related crimes in Durham.
Speaking in support of the motion, Foster said councillors and residents had seen troubling activity on social media, particularly in Clarington.
“There have been Islamophobic posts, there have been racist posts, and there have been some posts that, in my opinion, could be considered inciting violence,” Foster told council.
He added that some members of the community in Clarington “do not feel welcome” and “do not feel safe,” and said misinformation was being deliberately spread to “stir up hate.”
“We are a multicultural, diverse and inclusive community. Everyone should feel welcome. Everyone should feel safe,” Foster said.
While acknowledging the tension with freedom of expression, he warned that “at some point, the harm is very real. The potential for violence is very real.”
Anderson, who seconded the motion, described the situation as “hateful” and warned that hatred directed at one community can quickly spread to others.
Anderson specifically raised concerns about Gibraltar Leadership Academy, which he described as an Islamic school in the area. He said drones had been flown over the school, while social media posts had suggested the building might be abandoned, even though it is an active school with children present.
“When we are talking about children and the safety of children, that bothers me,” Anderson said. “When the community says they are living in fear because of drones and all of this, I think that goes beyond the pale.”
Anderson’s account of the drone flights and the images he described was presented as his statement to council and was not independently verified during the meeting.
David Pickles, a councillor from Pickering, said Foster had privately shared some of the posts with him and described them as “very disturbing.” He supported the motion.
“One day it is anti-Muslim, the next day it is antisemitic, the next day it is anti-Asian or anti-Black. None of it is acceptable,” Pickles said.
One member of council described the motion as “a reaffirmation of our current anti-racism policy, but with a specific, targeted and necessary addition.”
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