Halifax police could drop term 'Middle Eastern' when describing suspects Three of four suspects in recent spate of sexual assault allegations against Halifax taxi drivers described as "Middle-Eastern-looking" but police admit the descriptor is based on stereotypes.
Halifax police are perpetuating damaging stereotypes by using "Middle Eastern" to describe three unknown cab drivers suspected in a recent string of alleged sexual assaults, critics say.
"There's no such thing as a Middle-Eastern-looking person," said Raja Khouri, president of the Toronto-based Canadian Arab Institute.
Khouri, who is also member of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, said the millions of people from the 17 countries in the region come from disparate backgrounds, which means their physical attributes vary widely.