Muslim group calls for N.S. Conservative candidate's resignation
CBC
On the eve of election day, the Canadian Council of Imams is calling for the federal Conservative candidate for Central Nova to resign from the race, saying Steven Cotter has refused to engage with them on issues of Islamophobia, racism and discrimination.
In a statement released Saturday evening, the group said although Cotter issued a public apology on Sept. 5 for past Islamophobic posts on his Facebook page, his refusal to engage with them makes them question the sincerity of his apology.
It said Cotter has ignored numerous attempts to discuss how he would address issues Islamophobia, racism and discrimination against immigrants. The group now believes his apology was an attempt at damage control.
The council said it acknowledges recent actions the Conservative Party of Canada has taken to condemn Islamophobia and support human rights, including the removal of a candidate in Ontario, but it added that silence on the issue is unacceptable to their community.
Ahmad Hussein, chairman of the Ummah Masjid and Community Centre in Halifax, said the council was encouraged to see the Conservatives remove candidate Lisa Robinson over Islamophobic comments, so its inaction on Cotter is confusing.
Hussein said the Conservative Party facilitated the original meeting with Cotter, which was unproductive.
"In that meeting, it became quite apparent that over two hours, Mr. Cotter spoke no more than five words and had showed no signs of of wanting to change," he said.