Canadians stand up to Islamophobe in social experiment that ends with punch

[Penny Lane 8,159]

A video attracting a lot of attention online proves that multiculturalism packs a punch in Canada, when the filmmaker’s "social experiment" demonstrates how some Canadians will leap to the defence of a Muslim person singled out for abuse, even in the wake of recent attacks by self-radicalized Islamists.

Omar Albach --- an 18-year-old student at York University --- and two friends --- tested Canada’s racial tolerance by staging a charade involving an actor dressed head-to-toe in traditional Islamic garb and another Caucasian actor who accosts him in public.

They recorded what transpired on a video posted to YouTube, ‘Canadians react to Ottawa shooting racism,’ that has attracted a lot of attention since it was posted on Monday, garnering more than 400,000 views as of Wednesday morning.

The "racist" character in the video asks the "Muslim" character to step out of a line of people waiting for a bus, accusing him of being a terrorist threat. None of the bystanders in the video support the "Islamophobic" actor. One man emphatically rejects the diatribe, pointing out that Canadians can’t blame all Muslims for the violent action of fanatics.

"You know what? You can’t stereotype and judge people by their clothes," the man says in the video.

Another man gets so aggravated that he punches the heckling actor in the face, giving him a bloody nose.

Albach, who was born in Canada of Palestinian descent says the purpose of the video was to “to see if people feel safe around Muslims or people who look like Muslims.”

The video was created in Hamilton, Ont. --- the home town of murdered Canadian soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo --- to gauge if Canadian Islamophobia was on the rise following the shooting rampage by lone wolf gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill last week.

"I wanted to see how that would change the views of Canadians," Albach told CTV News Channel in an interview Wednesday.

"They all responded perfectly, they all stood up for the Muslim man," he said.

Albach, who is Muslim, feels encouraged by the outcome of his video.

"I’ve learned that Canada is very tolerant --- it’s proven that Canadians have become more tolerant and knowledgeable about who is a terrorist (and who is not) --- and just because there is one radicalized person in a sect or religion does not make every person in that religion a radicalized person," he told CTV News Channel.


http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadians-stand-up-to-islamophobe-in-social-experiment-that-ends-with-punch-1.2077093

[i'd embed the actual video BUT APPARENTLY I have forgotten how to do that. It's linked in the article.]

Edited October 30, 2014 by Penny Lane

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Thank you! I've been away too long.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Yeah for Canada.

Nothing speaks about Tolerance for others views like beating someone in the face for having a different opinion. You must be bursting with pride for the peace and tolerance displayed in that video.

[ChristinaG 91]

AWESOME <3 <3 <3

I don't condone how physical it got!!

BUT.... I am very proud to see that others are still willing to stand up for those being mistreated!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Yeah for Canada.

Nothing speaks about Tolerance for others views like beating someone in the face for having a different opinion. You must be bursting with pride for the peace and tolerance displayed in that video.

I am.

I'm sorry you missed everything except the last thirty seconds of that video somehow. I don't condone violence (and I don't think it's necessary to exaggerate and call one punch a beating) and that guy was in the wrong, too. That's not the way to go about voicing an opinion.

Again, sorry you missed the positives and focused on the negative.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Glad to see folks stand up for him. It's a shame the guy hit him in the face. Racial and religious intolerance has no place anywhere.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I am.

I'm sorry you missed everything except the last thirty seconds of that video somehow. I don't condone violence (and I don't think it's necessary to exaggerate and call one punch a beating) and that guy was in the wrong, too. That's not the way to go about voicing an opinion.

Again, sorry you missed the positives and focused on the negative.

Apology accepted

If I hit you in the face and cause your nose to bleed. Reckon the Po PO won't charge me because it's really not a beating

Shame he was not in the US and armed.

Edited October 30, 2014 by The Nature Boy

[ChristinaG 91]

...

If I hit you in the face and cause your nose to bleed. Reckon the Po PO won't charge me because it's really not a beating

Shame he was not in the US and armed.

...the police won't charge you if you bloody my nose if I don't file a complaint. How many bar fights do cops break up without arrest?!

thank goodness he was not in the US and armed!!

[JohnR! 5,495]

[sos] That was one of the things I thought too.

If everyone involved had a gun, the entire situation would have been resolved in a far more civilized manner. [eos]

...the police won't charge you if you bloody my nose if I don't file a complaint. How many bar fights do cops break up without arrest?!

thank goodness he was not in the US and armed!!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Apology accepted

If I hit you in the face and cause your nose to bleed. Reckon the Po PO won't charge me because it's really not a beating

Shame he was not in the US and armed.

I said nothing about the police or charges. Just that I wouldn't call one punch to the face a beating.

[Teddy B 17,251]

Not sure this is the video to be using as a tool for showing a level of tolerance. When someone gets sucker punched in the face, I'd say tolerance was lost and so was the message.

[Karee 4,189]

I knew it. Canada loves Islamic terrorists.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Not sure this is the video to be using as a tool for showing a level of tolerance. When someone gets sucker punched in the face, I'd say tolerance was lost and so was the message.

Ignoring the peaceful words of the vast majority and focusing on the physical acts of the minority makes no sense to me.

[Rob L 3,811]

I knew it. Canada loves Islamic terrorists.

I sense an imminent threat from the North. I propose we gather our pitchforks and weapons and maintain a diligent eye on all Canadians trying to come down and corrupt our values. We should continue this vigilance until Canadians adopt the proper level of paranoia, intolerance. distrust and alarmist attitudes that are necessary to keep our society safe.