Anti-Muslim posters spark shock and gather support on UofC campus
University president “Angry” and “Disturbed” by hate messages
By Bigoa Machar, Publishing Editor
Students at the University of Calgary were greeted with shock Tuesday morning when more than 40 anti-muslim posters were found around across campus.
“Fuck your beheadings, fuck your Sharia,” read some of the posters across campus, at the same time calling Muslim beliefs “barbaric.”
“We were all very shocked today,” said University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon. “I don’t think these posters reflect at all the University of Calgary, we’re a very diverse, inclusive and respectful campus…to see something like this is truly disturbing.”
The school is working with campus security and Calgary Police to find out where these posters came from and to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
Students and faculty gathered in front of Macewan Hall at noon in solidarity for their Muslim colleagues.
But really, we’re here today to support our Muslim students,”said Cannon. “It really is a community coming together and saying the University of Calgary is strong and we respect one another, regardless of where you come from.”
In addition to hateful messages, the posters included links to Facebook pages calling for the removal of Islam from Canada and calling those to “celebrate Canada’s European culture.” Other pages included links to pages filled with posts on Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matters movement in the United States and a variety of other pages made to single out certain groups.
Events like this have become too common here in Alberta. Earlier this month, anti-Sikh posters were spread across the University of Alberta campus. Premier Rachel Notley says these kinds of things are not acceptable in the province.
“It’s very important for the vast majority of Albertans, who I believe join me in being offended by those kinds of posters, those kinds of statements, for all of us to speak out and say that it is not acceptable,” Notley told reporters Tuesday when she was asked about the latest incident.
“We embrace inclusion and acceptance and mutual understanding. That’s the kind of province that we’re building and, you know what? It makes our province stronger when we commit to building that.”
In addition to Islamophobia finding its way onto University campuses, residents of some northwest neighbourhoods in Calgary have reported anti-Muslim flyers delivered to their doors.
Calgary Police are asking those with any information on the incident to come forward.
