Winnipeg group rallies for more inclusive Canada

WINNIPEG — Hundreds of Winnipeggers came out to show their support for the Muslim community Tuesday.

A crowd of around 200 people spilled in to the Central Mosque on Ellice Avenue for the “My Canada Includes Muslims” rally.

“We care about diversity, we care about respecting people and the strengths that they bring to the country,” co-organizer Fiona Muldrew said.

Organizer Shaun Loney said anti-Muslim sentiments have been ramped up since the niqab quickly became a contentious election issue. The Conservatives have vowed to re-introduce the ban at citizenship oaths within 100 day of re-election.

“It makes me angry because I think leaders should pull us together not divide us,” organizer Shaun Loney said. “We need to address this and simply voting wasn’t enough for me.”

“It’s Islamophobic and it continues on to the racial profiling and systemic racism,” attendee Warda Ahmed said.

Ahmed was born in Somalia and moved to Canada 11 years ago. She said she hasn’t always worn a hijab but started about six years ago.

“It’s unfortunate that I’m supposed to be explaining what I choose to wear or what other women choose to wear as part of their faith,” Ahmed said. “The government wants to make that the centre of agenda for an election instead of thinking of larger societal-wide issues. That’s a concern to me as a Canadian citizen.”

Many in attendance said the conversation and focus of the election needs to be shifted back to larger issues such as missing and murdered indigenous women or the water issues facing Shoal Lake First Nation.