CANADA: Anti-Islam protesters tore up Holy Quran and others yelled Islamophobic comments during an Ontario school board meeting to end the practice of providing space for Muslim student’s Jummah prayers.
The practice of Jummah, a Muslim congregational prayer held during lunch break each Friday has been going on over the last two decades without issue in schools across the Region of Pee.
The parents were angry that Muslim students were allowed to gather at school for about 15 minutes each Friday for Jummah prayers. The enraged parents shouted Islamophobic comments until police were forced to intervene. One man ripped up a copy of the Holy Quran and threw its pages towards the front of the room which is visible in the video and another stomped on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5804dIODpss
“Have you read this book?” screamed one woman. “You would be shocked. Read it, so you know what’s happening.”
https://twitter.com/anima_tk/status/844705398074544128
Petition signed by 600 people calling for “immediately discontinue . . . religious clubs and religious congregations of any religion” practice in Peel schools was presented in the meeting.
https://twitter.com/anima_tk/status/844705808386543617
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association issued a statement saying “the schools of Ontario welcome and provide a safe place for students who practice the very broadest range of religions and beliefs.”
Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey condemned the campaign and said in a written statement, “Muslim students require a time to pray that may happen during a school day, and we must respect that — as we do any other religious requirement. Letting Muslim students pray for 20 minutes in an empty space with the supervision of volunteer staff does not cause any financial hardship.”
https://twitter.com/anima_tk/status/844704906732810240