Clarington’s mayor isn’t mincing any words, as he condemns a shocking incident involving a religious text at a local school.
He says a copy of the Quran, a sacred Islamic text, was “deliberately destroyed.”
Although he didn’t name the school, Adrian Foster called it an “incident of intolerance,” adding that he is “saddened and deeply disappointed.”
Mayor Foster says the incident is being investigated by the involved school board, though he did not say which one.
He concluded with a reassuring message for Clarington’s Muslim community– and the municipality as a whole.
“Clarington values equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in our community,” reads the statement. “It is a source of strength that we are a safe and welcoming place for all.”
Mayor Foster’s full statement can be found below:
I am saddened and deeply disappointed by an incident of intolerance which involved a copy of the Quran, the Islamic sacred book, being deliberately destroyed at a local school.
I understand that the incident is being taken exceptionally seriously and investigated by the school board, which will take the appropriate next steps.
However, I want to state clearly that religious and racial intolerance has no place in Clarington. I want to reassure our Muslim community and all our residents that Clarington values equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in our community.
It is a source of strength that we are a safe and welcoming place for all.
