The mayor of Brampton, Ont. is standing up to what she calls hate speech in response to outcry over religious accommodation in the city鈥檚 public schools.
In January, the Peel District School Board enacted a policy that allows Muslim students to participate in a prayer service every Friday held around midday.
On Saturday, approximately 200 people protested the policy against religious practices in public schools.
Last week, Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey said in a statement that she was 鈥渁larmed by the recent misinformation and hateful speech鈥� surrounding the accommodation of Muslim prayers.
鈥淢uslim students require a time to pray that may happen during a school day, and we must respect that - as we do any other religious requirement,鈥� Jeffrey wrote. 鈥淭he only limit on religious accommodation is undue financial burden. Letting Muslim students pray for 20 minutes in an empty space with the supervision of volunteer staff does not cause any financial hardship.鈥�
At a meeting on Jan. 14, the school board lifted a restriction on which types of prayers can be used by Muslim students during Friday prayers. Peel public school students are now allowed to pick their own prayers and sermons rather than choose from six selections pre-approved by the school board.
But there have been calls for the board to immediately discontinue religious groups and religious congregations in schools. At the Jan. 14 school board meeting, the head of Canadian Hindu Advocacy Ron Banerjee told trustees that allowing students to choose their own prayers in school 鈥渕ay violate Canadian values.鈥�
A group called Canada First said last week that they were organizing a 鈥淲alk to Oppose Religion in Schools鈥� in Mississauga.
In an interview with 愛污传媒 Channel on Tuesday, Jeffrey said she felt compelled to speak out against the 鈥渉ate and the fear-mongering that I saw in my community鈥� in light of religious accommodation.
Jeffrey said she was trying to separate 鈥渕yth from fact,鈥� in explaining that there is no financial burden in relation to the prayer accommodation. She also noted that religious accommodation in schools is protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code鈥檚 mandate.
鈥淚 think that they feel that their children are being exposed to something that they feel strongly about,鈥� Jeffrey said. 鈥淣obody is disputing the fact that they can have a difference of opinion but the Ontario Human Rights Code tells us that we need to make those accommodations.鈥�
Some have called the demonstrations against Muslim prayer in schools an act of Islamophobia, but Jeffrey would only say that 鈥渢here is language that is very troubling and that鈥檚 why I put a statement out about it.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of fear,鈥� Jeffrey said. 鈥淎nd I hear that in my community but what鈥檚 happening in the school boards have has happening for the last 20 years.鈥�
She later added: 鈥淭hese kinds of accommodations happen throughout the school year, all the time, whether you鈥檙e a vegetarian and the food is accommodated for your religious needs.
鈥淪ome Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses, I understand, leave when 鈥極 Canada鈥� is being sung, so there are accommodations throughout the school year, that happen in the school.鈥�
Jeffrey said that there have been people who are 鈥渦nhappy鈥� with her statement, but also those who have thanked her for speaking out.
With files from CP24
