Vancouver, BC—Members of the Philippine Women Centre of BC stand in solidarity with members of the Muslim community, who have been targeted by Islamophobic attacks such as the recent Quebec mosque shooting. We also stand with those across the border who are calling for an end to the immigration ban against all Muslims, and an end to all religious, gendered and race-based oppression that have fueled the spike in hate crimes. As racialized members of Canadian society, we stand together against all forms of marginalization and hatred.
While diversity is an empirical reality in Canada, with a population from various ethnic backgrounds, systemic racism continues to uphold hierarchies of exploitation and stands as a barrier between the cohesion of our many communities. Colonial legacies and ongoing forms of dispossession have and continue to impact us today, from the displacement of communities from their historic neighbourhoods to Trudeau’s approval of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline. Despite the image of a welcome Canada, the reality of refugee and temporary foreign worker detentions and deportations, and the refusal of refugee resettlement increases delineates an immigration system of refusal, not belonging. Hate crimes and violent attacks are not isolated incidents that mar the image of a diverse Canada, but are symptoms of the reality that people of colour and Indigenous people face in this country.
The threat is fear and racism in ourselves and our institutions, not the Other. We must end racist and exclusionary policies and advance the movement for genuine settlement, integration and permanent immigration. We continue to stand in solidarity and advance our common struggles towards a truly multicultural and equal society.
Stop Islamophobia!
Condemn the immigration ban against Muslims now!
Rescind the exclusionary “Safe Third Country” agreement!
End systemic racism and call for genuine settlement and integration!
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For more information, contact:
pwcofbc@gmail.com
facebook.com/PhilippineWC
@pwcofbc
The Philippine Women Centre of BC 