Man Arrested, Banned from Campus for Spitting on Muslim Students at Western University
The university said on Sunday that its special constable service arrested the man after two incidents were reported. The university did not say if the man was a student, but said he has a court date, CBC News reported.
"Western is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment and we are here to support our students. Hate and discrimination have no place on our campus and will not be tolerated," said Stephen Ledgely from Western's communications office in an email.
Ledgely also said that some cases of Islamophobic and antisemitic acts have been reported and investigated in recent weeks.
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Western thanked the university in a social media post for taking action, but also claimed that there have been nine other incidents that the university has not acknowledged.
The group said that some students have been threatened, insulted, and physically attacked because of their faith.
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"[It] is crucial to acknowledge that this isolated incident is one manifestation of the broader issue of hatred and Islamophobia that continues to persist at Western. While the expulsion of the individual is a step in the right direction, we recognize that there is much work to be done in combating the root causes of discrimination," the MSA's post read.
There has been a significant rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in various countries, including Canada, since the start of a war between the Israeli regime and Hamas resistance movement in and around Gaza on October 7.
Source: Agencies
