NCCM welcomes criminal charge against Mississauga man for promoting hatred
-For Immediate Release-
Individual arrested and charged was frequently promoting fear and hatred of Muslims
(Ottawa – July 24, 2017) The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a prominent civil liberties and advocacy organization, welcomes news of the laying of a criminal charge against an individual accused of promoting hatred.
Peel Regional Police (PRP) arrested Kevin J. Johnston this morning and charged the 45-year-old male with one count of wilful promotion of hatred under the Criminal Code of Canada. In a statement today, PRP stated: « The charge stems from a lengthy investigation into numerous incidents reported to police, involving Kevin J. Johnston and concerns information published on various social media sites. »
« This charge is long overdue, » says NCCM Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee. « We welcome this development as an important step towards safeguarding our communities from unchecked hatred that both harms social cohesion and threatens the safety of community members. We thank the Peel Regional Police for taking decisive steps in this matter. »
« It’s critical that law enforcement and governments continue to send a strong message that the promotion of hatred towards any community has consequences, » says NCCM Communications Director Amira Elghawaby. « This charge alone should help serve as a deterrent to those who engage in hateful activities of a criminal nature. »
The NCCM encourages community members to report suspicious activities to police services and to human rights organizations. The organization documents anti-Muslim hate crimes and incidents on its national interactive online map. The NCCM also requests community members to refer to its Community Safety Guide.
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