E-Paper
Stand united against hate, says Jagmeet Singh after heckling video goes viral
The video of Singh’s has not only attracted eyeballs but also plenty of plaudits for his reaction.
After a video of him being disrupted by a lady during a campaign event went viral, Indo-Canadian Jagmeet Singh, vying to become the next leader of the New Democratic Party, said it was “important” to stand united against all forms of hate.
In a statement, Singh referred to the incident that occurred in Brampton, a Toronto suburb, where his “political career began.” Singh is a member of the Ontario provincial parliament representing a constituency in that city.
He said, “As soon as I was introduced, a person confronted me with angry, hateful and Islamophobic comments, I had to act fast and set the tone for the room.”
That tone of “love” and “welcome” was part of what made the video of the shrill woman heckler and his response go viral.
He stated his “response to Islamophobia has never been ‘I’m not Muslim’, it has always been and will be that ‘hate is wrong’.”
“Once allowed to grow, hate doesn’t pick and choose, it spread like fire,” he said.
The national broadcaster CBC reported that he directly addressed the woman and said, “”We welcome you. We love you. We support you …we believe in your rights,” even as the crowd chanted “love and courage.”
He then told the audience, “We’re not worried about this. It’s OK. As a brown-skinned turban-wearing man I have faced things like this before.”
The video of Singh’s has not only attracted eyeballs but also plenty of plaudits for his reaction.
