CALGARY – The discovery of dozens of anti-Muslim posters in the campus of a Canadian university has sent alarm bells among university officials and Muslim students, who stressed they are part of a diverse and welcoming campus.
“This is my campus, my community, but part of me feels very scared now,” Lobna Al-Wadeih, a female Muslim student who wears a hijab, told Calgary Sun.
“With my hijab, I feel like my being Muslim is kind of in your face. And out there, if I’m downtown or something I will get that, I will get the ‘go home,’ from people.
“But you’ve got to try and have a positive mindset and realize that someone who is an enemy today, might be a friend tomorrow.”
About 40 posters were discovered by students at 6:45 am on Tuesday at the main campus of University of Calgary.
The posters were filled with hateful and obscene language telling Muslims to “keep your barbaric ways … in your 7th century homeland.”
Officials vowed campus security would be reviewed to ensure students feel safe.
“It’s truly disturbing and makes me personally very angry,” said the university’s president Elizabeth Cannon, stressing that the university is checking surveillance video and working closely with police to find those responsible.
While campus security acted quickly to take them down, other posters and similar hate literature was also found later in parking lots and in residential mailboxes just outside of campus in northwest communities.
“This is something we’ll have to evaluate. We have terrific campus security, our students do feel safe, and we take pride in our programs, like safe walk, cameras, and just looking out for each other,” Cannon said.
“But we do want to analyze this and see if there is more that we can do.”
United Against Hate
University of Calgary students, faculty and staff rally to support the Muslim community after anti-Muslim posters were found around campus on October 4, 2016.
The campus community gathered outside MacHall on Tuesday to show solidarity and support, writing messages of support on heart-shaped cards.
“We want to spread positivity today,” said Umair Tazeem, president of the Muslim Students’ Association in an interview with Metro News. He said if he could speak to the person or people behind the posters, he’d ask that they talk to him about his religion.
“I’m not that different from you … things are happening across the world, but that’s not a representation of Islam.”
Many Muslim students have praised Campus Security’s fast action.
“It’s definitely sad to see, but I’m glad to see the steps that have been taken so far on campus,” said Tazeem in an interview with The Gauntlet.
“I think our campus security has done a great job in dealing with it. Not too many students were even able to come across these (posters) — campus security was able to track them down.”
“The Faith and Spirituality Centre was deeply saddened to hear about the anti-Muslim posters that were found on campus,” says Adriana Tulissi, manager, Faith and Spirituality Centre at the University of Calgary.
“We strive to provide a braver space on campus and to foster and build awareness, understanding and active pluralism. We are launching an Interreligious Student Alliance this month and invite student clubs to join together in shared values, understanding and solidarity. Please come by our Centre if you need support to show your solidarity.”
UCalgary’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Protected Disclosure was created to bring awareness to issues of bias and discrimination, to ensure our campuses are safe and respectful working, learning and living environments for everyone.
“While these incidents are rare, they remind us to speak out against this type of action when we see it, and to stand in solidarity to affirm that the University of Calgary is an inclusive and welcoming community for people from all backgrounds and identities,” says Valerie Pruegger, director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Protected Disclosure.