A series of racist incidents including several at local Buddhist temples in Montreal have lead to calls for great action by the Canadian government to fight off anti-Asian hate.
One dozen Asian groups signed onto a letter from the Center for Research Action on Race Relations calling on the federal government to “move as fast and boldly as possible against the tide of racism against Asian Canadians and other vulnerable groups. “
“Now is the time for solidarity and social cohesion,” the letter stated.
Montreal Police recently announced it would investigate the vandalism of statues and religious symbols at two Buddhist temples and a cultural center as hate crimes, according to CBC. Surveillance footage from one of those temples shows a man taking a hammer to several statues.
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“The Asian community in Montreal is currently being targeted with hate crimes as we speak,” Louis Le, a volunteer at the Chua Quan Am temple in Côte-des-Neiges said on Facebook. “We can’t just let ’em get away with it.”
CRARR recently launched a bilingual campaign with the message “COVID-19 Does Not Discriminate. Neither Should You!”
Funded by donations from a local Chinese group, the campaign also has published safety tips for victims of anti-Asian hate in English and in French.
Groups which are supporting the campaign include the,Canadian Muslim Forum(FMC-CMF), Chinese Association of Montreal, Chinese Family Services of Greater Montreal, Concordia Student Union, Canadian Council of Muslim Women –Montreal Chapter, Council of South Asian Communities, Development Council for Montreal Chinatown, Federation of Black Canadians, Groupe d’entraide contre le racisme envers les Asiatiques au Québec, Montreal Chinese Community and United Centre, Montreal Korean Language and CultureCentre, Progressive Chinese of Quebec, Sun Yat Sen Park Foundation, Teesri DuniyaTheatre, and Vietnamplify.
“We are not just a coalition, we are a movement for equality, security and solidarity,” said Fo Niemi, Executive Director of CRARR.
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re: One dozen Asian groups call for Canadian government to combat rising anti-Asian racism: When white society causes something horrible to happen, of which there are so many, and not to say Asians caused this pandemic, Asians do not take to destroying their property, churches, businesses, or individuals. I am always puzzled by what it is in some white people that this prevails. Help. Someone explain it to me! White privileged?