Halifax police are under fire for describing three unknown cab drivers suspected in a recent string of alleged sexual assaults as "Middle Eastern."
Critics say the vague description lacks accuracy and, as a result, amounts to stereotyping and discrimination.
The president of the Toronto-based Canadian Arab Institute says the millions of people from the 17 countries within the region represent disparate backgrounds, which means their physical appearances vary widely.
Raja Khouri says people from the Middle East can be black, white or somewhere in between, saying the description — in the context of a criminal case — perpetuates hurtful, prejudicial notions.
Const. Amit Parasram, diversity officer for Halifax Regional Police, says the "Middle Eastern" description was given to investigators by each of the three young, female victims.
Still, the officer concedes the term is based on stereotypes, and he says the police force is willing to talk about using other forms of description.
Halifax immigration lawyer Lee Cohen says police could avoid stereotypes by describing specific physical traits rather than speculating about origins.
