Racist posters targeting Sikhs have appeared in one of Canada’s largest research-intensive universities.
The posters showed the image of a man wearing a turban with a racist message that asked Sikhs to go back to there home country, Toronto Sun reported.
“This is shameful that people in Canada are doing this,” said Yadvinder Bhardwaj, president of the Indian Students’ Association at the University of Alberta, which represents more than 2,500 Indian students.
“I don’t want this. We are students, we are here trying to get an education, we are not doing anything bad.”
The World Sikh Organisation of Canada condemned the racist posters.
“Similar posters appeared two years ago in Ontario and are a pathetic attempt at drawing the spotlight to deplorable views that have been rejected in Canada,” WSO president Mukhbir Singh said.
“Despite the claims on this poster, Sikhs are an integral part of the Canadian fabric and we are proud that many turbaned Sikhs serve Canada in the federal cabinet, Armed Forces and many other capacities.”
“These racist posters don’t reflect the inclusiveness Canada is renown for and we know that the University of Alberta and the larger Edmonton community stand in solidarity with Sikh Canadians in saying that this type of messaging is not welcome,” said Tejinder Singh Sidhu, vice-president of WSO Alberta.
David Turpin, president of the University of Alberta, said all of the posters that were brought to their attention have been taken down and any new posters will be removed.
“We are working with University of Alberta Protective Services to find the parties responsible. The University of Alberta is a space that is open to all people and we take pride in the strength of our diverse community,” Mr. Turpin said.
