Looking away from hate leaves a space for right-wing extremism

From the attack on the Quebec City mosque last year to the presence of paramilitary group the Three Percenters, violent right-wing extremism poses a threat. It grows unchecked in part because there is a tolerance for racism and a discomfort with confronting it.

In Montreal, two venues cancelled an event celebrating Muslim girls’ decision to wear the hijab. Both decisions were the result of white supremacist actions.

A column decrying the event in the Journal de Montreal was circulated on what the CBC calls “openly xenophobic Facebook sites,” leading to the cancellation at the first venue due to security concerns. It was cancelled at a second venue after the change in location was spread on Facebook by a faction of the largest far-right group in the province, according to the CBC.

In Toronto, the police service’s hate crimes report noted there was a 28 per cent increase in hate crimes in 2017 compared to 2016.

Right-wing extremism might seem like a phenomenon that happens anywhere but here. A recent study by two academics, Barbara Perry and Ryan Scrivens, sheds light on how right-wing violence and hate have come to thrive in Canada.  (more...)

Looking away from hate leaves a space for right-wing extremism

Background:

Yes, There Are Neo-Nazis In Canada