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Tag: hatemotivated

  • Hindu temple vandalised in Canada; police describes it as ‘hate-motivated incident’

    Hindu temple vandalised in Canada; police describes it as ‘hate-motivated incident’

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    Toronto: A prominent Hindu temple in Canada’s Ontario province has been vandalised by unknown people with “anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti”, in what is described by police as a “hate-motivated incident.”

    In a statement, the police in Ontario’s Windsor city said on Wednesday that it has launched an investigation into the incident and looking for two suspects.

    The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada has strongly condemned the act of vandalism.

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    “We have taken up with the Canadian authorities the hateful act of putting anti India graffiti on the walls of BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Windsor. We strongly condemn this act of vandalism,” the mission said in a tweet.

    The Windsor Police Service said officers were dispatched to the Hindu temple in the 1700 block of the Northway Avenue following a report of hate-motivated vandalism on Wednesday.

    “Officers discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti sprayed in black on an exterior wall of the building,” the police said in a statement.

    The Windsor Police Service was investigating vandalism at the temple “as a hate-motivated incident,” the statement said.

    Through investigation, officers obtained a video that shows two suspects in the area just after 12 a.m. In the video, one suspect appears to commit the vandalism on the wall of the building while the other keeps watch, it said.

    At the time of the incident, one suspect wore a black sweater, black pants with a small white logo on the left leg, and black and white high-top running shoes.

    The second suspect wore black pants, a sweatshirt black shoes, and white socks.Police asked residents in the immediate vicinity of the temple to check their home surveillance or dashcam video footage for evidence of the suspects.

    In January, the Gauri Shankar temple in Brampton was targeted with anti-India graffiti, causing an outrage among the Indian community.

    The Indian Consulate General in Toronto had said the defacing of the temple had deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.

    At least three similar acts of vandalism have been recorded in Canada last year.

    Last September, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the rise of hate crimes against Indians and anti-India activities in Canada, expressing their concern with stern language.

    Statistics Canada reported a 72 per cent increase in hate crimes based on religion, sexual orientation, and race between 2019 and 2021.

    This has led to increased fears among minority communities, particularly the Indian community, which is the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada, accounting for almost four per cent of the population.

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    #Hindu #temple #vandalised #Canada #police #describes #hatemotivated #incident

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • ‘Sikh’ struck on head in hate-motivated assault in Canada

    ‘Sikh’ struck on head in hate-motivated assault in Canada

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    Toronto: A man, apparently a Sikh, was allegedly struck on the head, causing his turban to fall on the ground, by an unidentified man, who also made “derogatory comments” at a subway station in Canada, police said.

    Police officers responded to an assault call at the Bloor-Yonge Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway station following the incident last week.

    Upon reaching the scene, police found that a man had been struck on the head causing his “religious head covering” — which they later identified as turban — to fall on the ground.

    The suspect allegedly passed derogatory comments at the victim before he left the TTC station, the Toronto Police said in a statement.

    The victim, whose age or religious affiliation were not released by the police, sustained minor injuries on his head.

    However, a report in Omni News, a multicultural and multilingual broadcaster in Canada, confirmed the identity of the victim as Sikh in its report.

    The suspect was last seen wearing a blue hat and a black jacket and was carrying a black bag.

    “After consultation with the specialised Hate Crime Unit, the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence,” the Toronto police said in its statement.

    Toronto Mayor John Tory said police are investigating the hate-motivated assault of a man at the subway station. “Our transit system – and city at large – must be safe places for all and free of hatred, without exception,” Tory tweeted after the incident.

    “Hate has no place in our city. We must all call out and stand together against discrimination and violence,” he said.

    Condemning the incident, the Toronto Transit Commission said that they will continue to assist Toronto Police in the course of their investigation.

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    #Sikh #struck #hatemotivated #assault #Canada

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )