Ottawa, July 11, 2012 —The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement condemning the recent act of vandalism against the Khalsa Community School in Brampton:
Vandalism is an appalling criminal act that harms both its target and the community as a whole. Acts of vandalism aimed at the faith or cultural background of a specific group of people are especially deplorable.
The Government of Canada condemns the cowardly attack on the Khalsa Community School in Brampton which serves the large Sikh community in Ontario’s Peel Region.
On Tuesday morning, school officials discovered racist graffiti spray-painted on an exterior wall of the school. The discovery comes at a time of community concern about other recent hostile incidents targeting Sikhs.
The Government shares the Sikh community’s deep concern over this act of vandalism and similar hateful incidents that damage Canada’s reputation as a peaceful, tolerant and pluralistic society.
Canadians take pride in the fact that together we have built a country in which people of many different cultures, faiths and backgrounds live together in harmony. Such disgraceful crimes undermine our social cohesion and warrant unequivocal condemnation. The perpetrators must be brought to justice.
As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I call upon all Canadians to reject any kind of racism or bigotry. Acts that promote intolerance toward specific groups of people are completely unacceptable and run contrary to the fundamental values of our country.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Alexis Pavlich
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
