Toronto immigration organization launches anti-racism ad campaign
Posted June 14, 2016 1:51 pm.
Last Updated June 14, 2016 9:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Some interesting bus shelter advertisements have begun appearing in Toronto, addressing Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments in the city.
The ads, posted by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and the City of Toronto, have been posted in response to the recent influx of Syrian refugees in December and a number of crimes against Muslims earlier in the year.
“It is important for Torontonians from all walks of life to take responsibility for not only welcoming refugees but also examining assumptions and stereotypes they may hold about Muslims, racialized communities, refugees in general, and refugees from the Middle East and Africa in particular,” Debbie Douglas, executive director of OCASI, said in a statement. “We hope this campaign will start to shift some people’s erroneous and harmful assumptions.”
In the ad, a white male is confronting a woman in a hijab, telling her to “go back to where you came from.”
The woman’s response is “Where, North York?”
The ad’s tagline is “Muslims are part of Toronto.”
The campaign is intended to dispel and prevent rumours and stereotypes.
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“Racism hurts our communities in so many ways,” says Amira Elghawaby, communications director at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, a partner on the public awareness campaign. “It’s uplifting to see several key national and provincial organizations come together to encourage Torontonians to unite against discrimination. We all have a responsibility to speak out against all forms of racism, including Islamophobia. We must work together to ensure our cities are welcoming for all.”
“Our goal with this campaign is to get people thinking, talking and challenging the assumptions they may be making about others, not just new Torontonians,” says Coun. Joe Mihevc.
According to the release, the overarching goal is to “create a Toronto that says ‘No’ to all forms of discrimination and racism.”
