Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey has released a statement denouncing some of the “hateful speech” around how Muslim students are allowed to pray in Peel schools.
“I am troubled by the misinformation, fear mongering and outright falsehoods being spread by some,” Jeffrey wrote in her March 9 statement. “Peel is one of the most diverse regions in Canada. We not only cherish diversity, we celebrate it.”
The accommodation of Friday prayer for Muslim students has been a contentious issue this school year.
Recently, the board announced that will stop taking delegations on the matter — though there is one more individual whose deputation has been deferred until March 22.
The controversy first surfaced when administrative changes to an operating procedure were met with resistance from the Muslim community last fall.
When education director Tony Pontes presented a solution to the issue of censoring Muslim student sermons for Friday prayeron Jan. 10, board meetings have been filled with crowds opposed to religion in public school.
In her March 9 statement, the Brampton mayor reiterated many points previously published by The Guardian about Muslim prayer in schools, including how Friday prayer has been going on in Peel schools for about 20 years as well as how religious accommodation is required under the Ontario Human Rights Code up to the point of undue hardship.
“I strongly condemn any form of discrimination, any form of racism, and any form of hate,” Jeffrey wrote. “There is no place for it here, or anywhere else in Canada.”
There has been a great deal of public commentary at meetings and online regarding religious accommodation in the Peel board.
One of the board’s critics has been former Mississauga mayoral candidate Kevin Johnston. He wasgiven a cease-and-desist letterlast week from the board’s legal counsel for alleged defamation.
The Peel board has confirmed that Johnston is now banned indefinitely from its properties, including schools and administrative offices.
Director Pontes said in an email that Johnston has been issued a Trespass to Property letter.
If Johnston were to come onto board property, Pontes said, “We would notify police and he could be arrested and charged under the Trespass to Property Act.”