OTTAWA — Canada's Muslim community has received an outpouring of support in the wake of stinging personal attacks against a Liberal MP and her motion to condemn and combat Islamophobia.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Canada says individual Canadians and elected officials alike have reached out in the 48 hours since the federal Liberals voiced support for the motion put forward by Mississauga MP Iqra Khalid.
Still, spokesman Safwan Choudry says he is troubled by the messages Khalid described receiving through social media about her motion.
Khalid told the House of Commons she has received thousands of sexist comments, Islamophobic remarks and even death threats after introducing the motion, known as M-103, late last year.
Khalid read the transcript of one particularly disturbing YouTube video sent to her office in which the author suggested she should be shot.
Right-wing activists and some Conservative leadership candidates have said they fear the motion could be a precursor to a crackdown on free speech, even though it doesn't alter the country's hate speech laws.
Choudry says he's concerned that the uproar over the motion, combined with the Jan. 29 mosque shooting in Quebec City, will tarnish Canada's international reputation as an open and inclusive society.
A SELECTION OF COMMENTS SENT TO LIBERAL MP IQRA KHALID OVER A RACISM MOTION
Liberal MP Iqra Khalid introduced a motion in Parliament this week to combat racism and Islamophobia. During debate, the MP from Mississauga, Ont., read out some of the messages she has received from the public on the issue. Where unparliamentary language was used, Khalid substituted the word "blank."
Some of the comments she received:
— "No need to debate her. Simply remind her that she is merely a woman and she needs to sit the blank down and shut the blank up. She has to comply according to Sharia."
— "Why did Canadians let her in? Ship her back."
— "Why don't you get out of my country? You're a disgusting piece of trash and you are definitely not wanted here by the majority of actual Canadians."
— "Blank off Pakistani, Yalibani. You blank yourself and go back to your blank hole of a country where you blank come from, ugly."
— "If I want to call a Muslim piece of blank terrorist, I will. Go back to your blank hole country where you came from blank hole."
