Racist posters targeting Sikhs were put up in the campus of the University of Alberta in Canada.
The poster featured a photo of a turbaned Sikh man with a message that said “F**k your Turban. If you’re so obsessed with your third world culture, go the f**k back to where you came from! #Non-integrative #Invasion.”
The website link immigrationwatchcanada.org was included at the bottom of the poster. It is a website that promotes the belief that immigration policies should serve the interest of the country’s citizens first.
The spokesperson of Immigration Watch denied being responsible for this incident.
The University of Alberta has more than 2,500 Indian students, The Hindu reported.
Toronto Sun quoted the World Sikh Organization of Canada saying:
Similar posters appeared two years ago in Ontario and are a pathetic attempt at drawing the spotlight to deplorable views that have been rejected in Canada. Despite the claims on this poster, Sikhs are an integral part of the Canadian fabric and we are proud that many turbaned Sikhs serve Canada in the federal cabinet, Armed Forces and many other capacities.
Reiterating similar sentiments, Canada’s Defense Minister, Harjit Sajjan said:
These racist posters don’t reflect the inclusiveness Canada is renowned for and we know that the University of Alberta and the larger Edmonton community stand in solidarity with Sikh Canadians in saying that this type of messaging is not welcome.
The posters were taken down by the university administration as soon as they were alerted.
The President and Vice-Chancellor of University of Alberta said:
Unfortunately, similar posters have also been found on other Canadian university campuses. We are working with University of Alberta Protective Services to find the parties responsible. The University of Alberta is a space that is open to all people and we take pride in the strength of our diverse community.
Twitter users too condemned the racist sentiments in a country like Canada which has had favourable immigration policies. Members of the Sikh community, especially, have been migrating to Canada since the 1900s.
(Source: Toronto Sun, The Hindu)
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