“I want to remind you and your children that Islamophobia is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our school.”
That’s what the principal of a middle school in Mississauga, Ontario, said. told parents in a letter after a student wearing a hibjab was attacked by another student and footage of the incident was shared on social media.
“Islamophobia and all forms of oppression must be eradicated from our schools and communities,” Omar Zia, principal of The Woodlands School, wrote in the Jan. 17 letter.
CTV News Toronto is protecting the identities of the children involved
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for the Peel District School Board said an investigation into the December incident is ongoing.
“The Woodlands Middle School responded immediately to the incident and concluded the school’s investigation,” the statement said.
“The incident is being addressed in accordance with the PDSB Student Code of Conduct, Policy 48, Safe and Caring Schools, and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that the safety and well-being of all students is at the forefront of a welcoming and inclusive school environment.” environment. “
A blurry image of an alleged assault at a Mississauga high school is seen here. (Delivered)
Sources say the attack started because one student stood up for another, but the school board would not confirm that to CTV News Toronto.
In a tweet Tuesday night, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said it was aware of the “disturbing video” circulating online and was working with the victim and the school to offer support.
However, the organization suggests that it is unclear whether the incident was motivated by hate.
We are aware of a disturbing video circulating of an attack on a Muslim student in Mississauga. We are contacting the victim and the school and will have more updates as they become available.
— NCCM (@nccm) January 17, 2023
“It is important that all angles are measured. It’s important for us to consider this a potential hate incident, and if so, how do we address it and how do we make sure it doesn’t happen again in our school systems?” said Fatema Abdallah, Advocacy Officer at NCCM .
Abdallah said NCCM is in discussions with the Peel County School Board to determine exactly what happened to lead to the videotaped incident.
In the meantime, she said the NCCM is working on a long-term strategy to address Islamophobia on the board.
Peel Regional Police told CTV News Toronto that at this time no victims have come forward in connection with the video.
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