Parents and advocates are urging the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to tackle anti-Palestinian racism following the discovery of offensive graffiti at a local high school last week. A parent of a Palestinian student at Brookfield High School expressed dismay upon seeing images of hateful graffiti in one of the school’s washrooms, which included derogatory language targeting Palestinians, a swastika, and a drawing of a pig with the word “Allah” above it. The parent, who chose to remain anonymous, shared the distress of witnessing such hate within the school system, causing her son to fear using the washrooms. The school principal later labeled the graffiti as Islamophobic and antisemitic and requested students to delete any photos to minimize the spread of this hateful act.
Critics, including James Kafieh, the vice-president of the Palestinian Canadian Congress, criticized the school’s response, deeming it as an attempt to erase the incident rather than addressing the underlying issue of anti-Palestinian racism. The advocacy group is advocating for comprehensive training programs to help school staff identify and combat such instances effectively. The school board acknowledged the incident, condemning the anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and antisemitic graffiti, and emphasized the availability of counseling and support services for affected individuals.
The incident has been reported to the Ottawa Police Service for investigation. Both the Palestinian Canadian Congress and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa expressed outrage over the graffiti, emphasizing the need for transparency in the investigation. Steven Zhou, from the National Council of Canadian Muslims, highlighted the concerning rise in Islamophobia and discrimination against Palestinian students nationwide, calling for proactive measures to address these issues within educational institutions. The call for change and solidarity among marginalized groups echoes through community responses to combat hate and discrimination.