Federal New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to delegates at the B.C. NDP convention at the Victoria Conference Centre in Victoria on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. Singh says Canadians can do better as a country, as hate crimes rise following the Israel-Hamas war. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
OTTAWA – Federal New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh says Canadians can and must do better as hate crimes increase during the Israel-Hamas war.
Singh says in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press that there has to be space for people to express their fears, worries and political opinions without provoking hateful conduct.
He says he’s recently spoken to Jewish and Muslim Canadians who have expressed concerns about their safety amid an uptick in hate-motivated violence and are worried about wearing religious symbols that are part of their identity.
Singh says he was bullied as a kid for wearing a turban, and he knows how scary it can be to stay true to one’s beliefs in the face of hatred.
He says Canadians need to create a place of respect for each other where people can be who they are.
The heightened fear comes after Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and took about 240 more hostage, provoking an Israeli military response that local authorities say has killed almost 22,000 people in the Gaza Strip.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2024.
