Ottawa School Faces Outrage Over Islamophobic, Anti-Palestinian Graffiti
The hateful drawings, found in a school washroom, include an insult to the tenets of Islam, anti-Palestinian slurs, and a swastika.
A parent of a Palestinian student, who spoke anonymously for safety reasons, told CBC News the images left families “infuriated and disgusted.” She added that her son is now afraid to use school facilities and that she first saw the graffiti on social media before the school notified parents.
Nearly a week later, Brookfield’s principal sent a letter calling the incident Islamophobic and antisemitic. The letter said students were asked to delete photos of the graffiti to “limit the exposure and impact of this hate crime.”
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James Kafieh, vice-president of the Palestinian Canadian Congress, criticized the response, saying the board’s reaction appeared aimed at erasing evidence rather than addressing “the underlying anti-Palestinian racism at Brookfield High School and within the school board.”
His organization is urging the board to introduce meaningful staff training to identify and combat such bias.
In a statement to CBC, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board confirmed that “a hateful act of anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and antisemitic graffiti” had been found.
It said counselling is being offered to students and that Ottawa police’s hate and bias crime unit is investigating.
The Jewish Federation of Ottawa also condemned the vandalism, saying it “stands in solidarity with all marginalized groups.”
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Steven Zhou of the National Council of Canadian Muslims said the incident reflects a wider pattern of hostility. “It’s shocking and disheartening,” he said, adding that frequent hate incidents with limited response have left many feeling numb.
The NCCM has called on Ontario’s education ministry to take a stronger public stand.
Source: Agencies
