Thornhill and Jaffari Community Centre

Jaffari Community Centre: On July 21, police were called to the Jaffari Community Centre in Thornhill. The words Arab go home and other vulgarities referencing the current Gaza conflict were spray-painted in several places surrounding the community centre , which also serves as a local mosque. Two days later, hate graffiti against Israel was scrawled on a Thornhill bus shelter . I was as offended by that heinous act as I am to hear about it happening to my own community, according to The Star. Immigrants come to Canada in search of a better life, to escape this kind of conflict and to leave hateful discourse behind. We are as interested as any other segment of the population in having a peaceful society here. The notion that this is something only one segment of Canadian society should find outrageous enough to respond to is an affront to everyone who wishes for peace and My own son, born and raised in Canada, which makes him as Canadian as Wayne Gretzky, was told to go back to his country when stepping off of a school bus at the age of 8. It broke my heart to have to explain to him the concept of intolerance at such a young age. I was as offended by these ignorant words as I am to hear about what is currently happening in my community. I realize that this hate comes from a fear of the unknown; people are always uncomfortable with the unknown. If police determine that those acts were motivated by hate, it could lead to charges under the Criminal Code, which prohibits hate propaganda. Surveillance video taken from the community centre has been provided to police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.