'No Place For Hate, Intimidation': Canadian Minister Reassures Hindus After SFJ's Threat
Hindu Canadian citizens should not feel threatened by a recent video by Skihs For Justice (SFJ) targetting them and asking them to go to India.
Canada's public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, has reassured Hindu Canadian citizens that they should not feel threatened by a recent video by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) targeting them and asking them to go to India.
"All Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities. The circulation of an online hate video targeting Hindu Canadians contradicts the values we hold dear as Canadians. There is no place for acts of aggression, hate, intimidation, or incitement of fear," the minister said in a social media post.
All Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities. The circulation of an online hate video targeting Hindu Canadians runs contrary to the values we hold dear as Canadians. There is no place for acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear.
¡ª Dominic LeBlanc (@DLeBlancNB) September 21, 2023
What Public Safety Canada said
Public Safety Canada, the department responsible for matters of public safety, emergency management, national security, and emergency preparedness, said the circulation of the video is offensive and hateful and is an affront to all Canadians and "the values we hold dearly".
"There is no place in Canada for hate," it said on Thursday night in a post on X.
"Acts of aggression, hate, intimidation, or incitement of fear have no place in this country and only serve to divide us. We urge all Canadians to respect one another and follow the rule of law. Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities," it added.
2/2: Acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear have no place in this country and only serve to divide us. We urge all Canadians to respect one another and follow the rule of law. Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities.
¡ª Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) September 22, 2023
Another minister reassures Hindus
Another Canadian minister, Harjit Sajjan, who is in charge of Emergency preparedness, also reassured the safety of Hindu Canadians and Indians from all backgrounds.
"To Hindu Canadians and Indians from all backgrounds: Anyone who says you do not deserve to be safe & welcomed in your home does not embody the values of freedom and kindness we hold dear as Canadians. Do not let others delegitimize or question your place and love for Canada", he posted on X.
To Hindu Canadians & and Indians from all backgrounds: Anyone who says you do not deserve to be safe & welcomed in your home does not embody the values of freedom & kindness we hold dear as Canadians. Do not let others delegitimize or question your place and love for Canada. ?? https://t.co/BwzWN4MsAn
¡ª Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) September 22, 2023
How SFJ threatened Canadian Hindus
The statements by the two ministers came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of US-based SFJ, posted a video on social media threatening Hindus in Canada following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India, but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs", Pannu, who has been designated as a terrorist in India, said in the video.
? Khalistani terrorist org 'Sikh for Justice' (SFJ) has issued death threat for Hindus of Indian Origin in Canada and asked them to leave the country:
¡ª OSINT Updates (@OsintUpdates) September 20, 2023
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has released a fresh two-minute video from Canada threatening to attack Indian¡ pic.twitter.com/nDidsEVoTX
What Trudeau's MPs said
The video sent shockwaves across the Indian community in Canada, and many, including Hindu lawmakers and Justin Trudeau's own ministers, came out denouncing it.
Chandra Arya from Prime Minister Trudeau's party had expressed dismay at the "glorification of terrorism" and hate crime targeting Hindus in this country in the name of "freedom of expression" in Canada.
Few days back Khalistan movement leader in Canada and the president of Sikhs for Justice which organizes the so-called referendum Gurpatwant Singh Pannun attacked Hindu-Canadians asking us to leave Canada and go back to India.
¡ª Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) September 20, 2023
I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are¡ pic.twitter.com/z3vkAcsUDs
There are fears that the repercussion of the Canadian government's allegations that Indian agents were behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar could be felt by the Hindu community in the country.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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