BRAMPTON, Canada—Jessica Pereira says she was appalled by the anti-immigration flyers that surfaced recently in Brampton.
“I felt offended,” she says. “It really upset me, and I think it should have been dealt with differently because I think it’s a hate crime.”
So on Saturday afternoon she found herself, with her 2-year-old son Liedson, drawn to a presentation called Beat the Hate, set up beside Brampton City Hall.
The event, a collaborative organized by Harman Singh, a council candidate in Mississauga’s Ward 5, his supporters, and the Sikh Youth Federation, was prompted by those anti-immigration flyers, which were deemed to be outside the hate crime laws.
Beat the Hate was an offering of free food, music and turban tying for those passing by, and those already in the downtown core enjoying the Farmers’ Market.
It’s goal: to fight hate with knowledge.
“The root of the racism is ignorance,” Singh points out. Beat the Hate was a positive response to the negativity generated by those flyers, he said, and a celebration of diversity.
The offering of free food, a Sikh tradition called Langar, is something most would not have experienced unless they went to a temple, he said. The music was Simran, meditation in musical form.
And anyone who wanted to have a turban tied and learn a little bit about the history of the turban at the same time, could choose the colour from a table piled with bright fabric.
Organizers said the event was an attempt to “connect with the broader community by sharing who we are, our contributions to that community, and how we can continue to enrich the cities we live in.” The event also showed that communities and the impact racism has are not limited to one area or one city. Singh and many of the volunteers are Mississauga residents, working alongside Bramptonians.
“People from Mississauga are helping because we need to work together to help each other become stronger neighbours,” Singh said.
And today (Sunday), many of the same volunteers will be in Malton for a community cleanup as part of the local Nagar Keertan Parade.
Amrita Bagga, 16, of Mississauga said she volunteered to help at the celebration “to show that we are all one community.” She said she wanted to raise awareness and “show what we’re all about.”
Bavneet Padda, 16, of Mississauga, agreed, saying she believes there are no differences everyone is equal – men, women and all races.
“I want to create an awareness,” she said of her participation in the celebration. “I would have done this regardless of the flyers.”
