Sameer Zuberi, the liberal candidate who runs for the re -election in the driving of Pierrefonds, Dollard on the west island of Montreal, says that two of his campaign volunteers were attacked with Islamophobic insults.
In an interview with CBC on Tuesday, Zuberi said that a mother and 15 -year -old daughter were hanging campaign posters in riding on Monday night when a man led to them and rolled out the window of his car.
“I was a horn and they thought it was, you know, supportive,” Zuberi said.
“Instead, he shouted at them, said he will knock down those posters and began screaming Islamophobic insults with F bombs,” said Zuberi.
Zuberi said the man left. The mother and daughter were shaken by the incident. He said they filed a police complaint to their impulse.
The Montreal Police could not immediately confirm if they were investigating.
Zuberi believes they were attacked because they were working for him. His father was born in Pakistan and he is Muslim.
“They had no visible outfit that identifies them as Muslims,” Zuberi said.
“I was very disturbed. You know, these are volunteers who are giving their time,” he said.
It is not the first time that the candidate went
During the 2021 campaign, several of Zuberi’s campaign posters were shattered With racist insults.
Zuberi said he hesitated about talking about this last incident, but finally decided to publish about him on social networks.
“I don’t want to be the guy who is only known for receiving racial attacks during a campaign,” he said.
“There is much more to offer more than that, but this behavior is deeply problematic and is not appropriate in our democracy,” he said.
The Canadian Muslim Forum also condemned the incident.
“There is a general sense, which is very sad and devastating, this sense of normalization of hate, Islamophobia and discrimination,” said Forum President Samer Majzoub, CBC in an interview.
“It’s a bitter reality. But this is nothing new,” he said.
Zuberi added: “For people to have different opinions and discuss solids, even sometimes uncomfortable, it’s fine. But there are limits for that, right?”
The liberal candidate believes that social networks have played a role in the authorization of an odious speech.
There are dozens of hateful and racist responses about Zuberi’s publication about the incident on the social media platform X.
“I think that as citizens and as residents, we need to have a conversation about how we entered conversations,” Zuberi said.
“What is appropriate? And what goes beyond the limits?” said.
Craig Sauvé, the NDP candidate in Lasalle – Émard – Verdun, published a message of support in X.
“My full solidarity with you and your campaign team. Racist attacks are unacceptable and Islamophobia does not take place in Canada,” Sauvé published.
