Andrew MacDougall, a former spokesman for Harper, tweeted at Scheer: ‘Delete and try again. Name the place of worship. Name their religion. Put your arms around them. Condemn the specific pathology that drove their killer(s).’
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis says after the pair of deadly attacks in New Zealand he will no longer host an event on Parliament Hill featuring a guest speaker who drew sharp criticism from the Muslim community.
Muslim advocates said the guest speaker, Baroness Caroline Cox, promotes hate against Muslims, and she has also been accused of supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Mr. Genuis said in a statement posted on Twitter that Lady Cox’s views and humanitarian work on international religious freedom “have been the subject of some debate, and perhaps some confusion, in the lead-up to an event with her about women’s rights, democracy, and freedom.”
“Organizers, including me, have been in the process of engaging members of the public in dialogue about this event, and about Baroness Cox’s work and legacy,” he said.
“With that said, our friends in the Muslim community are now reeling from one of the most horrific and appalling terrorist attacks to ever target their community. Out of respect for them, now is not the time for a conversation that could [be] misconstrued to take place on Parliament Hill. As such, the event will not be proceeding as planned.”
Amira Elghawaby of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network said she is relieved it has been cancelled, but said it should not have been scheduled in the first place.
Continue Reading.
