According to Rahyafte(the missionaries and converts website):Rahim Kassam tells Omni News his 16-year-old son’s teacher at Peel District School Board (PDSB) showed controversial cartoons from the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, during his Grade 11 French Class at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School.
“There is an Islamophobia in it, anti Semitism, Anti-Black Racism,” Kassam said of the January incident.
The cartoons featured controversial imagery of the Prophet Muhamad that many around the world have chosen not to publish due to its Islamophobic tone. The teacher not only shared it with the class, but allegedly sparked a very uncomfortable conversation.
“He approached him and asked him if he found these photos, these cartoons, offensive. He replied he did. He was offended. And then she followed up with that: ‘Do you condone the criminal acts that took place regarding those cartoons?’”
Kassam said his son was triggered by the conversation in class. He left to call his dad about it.
“He is the only Muslim in the class, and he was the only one asked if he condones anything. He felt like he is getting bullied by the teacher and he just got singled out, so he left the class and called me about the incident,” explained Kassam. “And the negative stereotypes being placed on the Muslims were not nice, so it just felt like basically saying, ‘That’s you’.”
Kassam called the school to tell them what happened. The principal confirmed the incident, and the teacher was placed on a three-month leave.
But what shocked him was how the issue was managed after the teacher’s return. Kassam said no action was taken beyond instructions to avoid eye contact and leave class early if the student wanted.
“You don’t look at her and she won’t look at you. If you’re uncomfortable, you can leave class 15 minutes early so you don’t have to bump into her in the hallway,” said Kassam about the instructions his son received.
He worries the steps taken didn’t end with any resolution.
“It did affect him in the sense that he got bullied. He felt like all of the sudden, ‘wait a minute I’m different?’ because up until this time he’s just a regular Canadian teenager going to school,” said Kassam. “I noticed it more when they told him don’t look and she won’t look at you and you can leave class early because it felt like ‘why am I getting punished for this?’”
A spokesperson with the PDSB confirmed an investigation took place.
“The school engaged with and received the input of the student, parent, community partners, and students within the school community as part of its investigation to determine the course of action required,” read a statement. “We’re assured that the actions taken by the school are firm, responsive and meaningfully respond to the incident and the impact.”
When asked about the claims about avoiding eye contact and leaving class early, the board said in a statement, “For privacy reasons, we’re prevented from disclosing further details informing the incident.”
In January, the PDSB made news for becoming the first school board in Canada to adopt a strategy to fight Islamophobia. Kassam said there’s still far more work to do.
“My experience with it is you’ve signed this strategy, you have these directives, but I don’t feel they’re being followed in any way,” he said.
Kassam said if there is one lesson to be learned in this incident, it’s to encourage all parents to speak up.
Source: toronto.citynews.ca
