Doug Ford’s ignorance about how racism spreads on display in his comment about immigrants

By Fareed Khan 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s response to criticism about a comment he made relating to immigrants, at a media conference in Windsor on October 20th, demonstrated ignorance about how racism is perpetuated that is shocking in a political leader.  In non-scripted remarks about a shortage of workers in Ontario Ford put his foot in his mouth when he called for more immigrants to come to the province, but not “If you think you’re coming to collect the dole and sit around.”

His comment not only created a furor in the Ontario Legislature, it also elicited strong reactions from pro-immigrant and anti-racism organizations which consider Ford’s comment to be objectionable and racist, despite Ford’s claims to the contrary.  What he said has been widely condemned for denigrating immigrants and fuelling anti-immigrant and racist narratives.  Despite widespread calls for Ford to apologize he has refused to do so, indicating an unwillingness to undo the harm his words have done.

The trope about immigrants coming to Canada so that they can collect social assistance rather than work and pay taxes like other Canadians is a very old one.  Over the decades this toxic myth has often been used by those opposed to the increasing diversity of Canada’s population, and by some right wing politicians.

Ford’s failure to see the potential danger to immigrants and people of colour of repeating a well-known anti-immigrant and racist trope is itself dangerous.  At a time when there has been a significant rise in racist attacks and hate crimes for the Premier of Ontario to make such a comment gives ammunition to anti-immigrant and white supremacist groups.  In addition, Ford’s decision to double down by refusing to apologize pours gasoline on this fire and emboldens those who believe that immigrants are a drain on Canadian society.

Canada would not exist as it is today if not for immigrants choosing to pursue their dreams of a better life in this country.  Over the last 50 years Canada’s population has grown from 21.5 million to an estimated 38.2 million today due primarily to immigration.  These people have not only benefitted Canada through their skills and ambitions, but also by taking on jobs that many other Canadians would not.

In all cases immigrants choose to settle in Canada to build a better life for themselves and their families.  Approval to settle in Canada is based on a points system that determines whether they are good candidates for immigration.  For anyone, particularly a political leader, to say that immigrants choose Canada as their new home because they want to live off “the dole” is not only ignorant but it flies in the face of extensive research about immigrant contributions to this country’s economic success.

By making his comment Ford shredded what little credibility he had on the issue of fighting racism.  That credibility was paper thin considering that he allowed candidates who promoted hateful and racist ideas to run for his party in the last provincial election.  That lack of credibility was reinforced when he cut funding to Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate after getting elected, and cancelled a mandatory anti-racism conference in 2019 that was part of a provincial strategic plan to combat racism.

People should also remember that Ford has a documented history of consorting with unsavoury characters who hold anti-immigrant and racist views.  In the past he was unwilling to condemn white supremacist Faith Goldy and happy to pose in photos with her and her supporters.  He was also willing to take a meeting with the head of the Hamilton chapter of the white supremacist group the Proud Boys.  This is not the behaviour of someone who is a champion for immigrants and opposes those who promote racist and anti-immigrant narratives.

Actions speak louder than words, and Ford has demonstrated through words and actions that he is unwilling to stand against the anti-immigrant and racist voices that see him as an ally.  Even worse is his penchant for saying and doing things that give energy to those voices.  His recent comment repeating a well-worn anti-immigrant and racist stereotype shows the true nature of someone who claims to be pro-immigrant and against racism.  Ford must apologize for fuelling racist and anti-immigrant sentiment with his comment.  Failure to do so will once again show Ontarians who Ford is, and this should not be forgotten in the lead up to next year’s provincial election.

© 2021 The View From Here.  © 2021 Fareed Khan.  All Rights Reserved

Facebook and other social media companies profit from hate on their platforms and need to be regulated

By Fareed Khan

Frances Haugen, a former data scientist and product manager at Facebook, became a hero to many critics of social media when she testified before a US Senate committee that her former employer knowingly magnifies hate and seeks to profit from promoting hateful content on its platforms.  Her bombshell revelations made to Senators were supported by information contained in thousands of internal Facebook documents which she leaked to the Wall Street Journal, and in her comments during an interview she did with the investigative journalism program 60 Minutes.

The information Haugen brought to light about the toxic nature of Facebook’s business model, and its willingness to put profits ahead of the well-being of society, should be a wakeup call for lawmakers in Canada and other nations that it can no longer be business as usual in how social media companies operate.  Her damning testimony should provide motivation for governments to take action against the senior executives of Facebook to hold them liable for the harms their platforms inflict on society, and to look at regulating all social media platforms.

The power that Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies have to shape the hearts and minds of their users and society is unparalleled in the era of mass communications.  Hundreds of millions of Facebook users log on every day and consume content that, according to Haugen, is dangerous and destructive.  The corrosive and destructive power of social media has no better example than the presidency of Donald Trump, where social media was weaponized and used to target, vilify and attack communities and individuals, with violent and at times deadly real world results.

Haugen’s allegations about the toxic nature of Facebook’s business practices are not fresh news.  For years research published by academics revealed that social media plays a role in promoting toxicity and hate in society.  In addition, The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed the willingness of Facebook to abuse its power to benefit its bottom line.  However, governments either refused to take action to regulate online platforms, or were unwilling to act due to intense lobbying by social media companies.

With all the information revealed through the leaked Facebook documents and Haugen’s testimony, along with previously published academic research, politicians can no longer ignore the role of social media in promoting hate.  Through her actions Haugen has provided governments the justification needed to impose legislation and regulations on all social media companies to ensure that they do not continue to wilfully turn a blind eye to hateful and destructive content propagated through their platforms.

Claims made by Facebook that it removes hateful materials from its platforms were also proven to be untrue according to one of the leaked documents.  A January 2021 Facebook study contained analysis which stated, “We estimate that we may action as little as 3-5% of hate and about 6-tenths of 1% of V & I [violence and incitement] on Facebook despite being the best in the world at it.”

Information revealed in the Facebook documents would also justify governments charging the company and its senior executives under hate crime laws to hold them criminally liable for their destructive business practices which ignored the safety and stability of society and the communities targeted by hateful content.  Haugen’s revelations made it clear that Facebook’s leadership cares little that their platforms are responsible for people getting hurt and killed because of voices and content that promoted racism, bigotry, homophobia, misogyny and other types of hate.

An Abacus Data poll released in January this year revealed that 93 per cent of Canadians believe that online hate speech and racism are a problem, and 60 per cent believe that the federal government has an obligation to regulate online and social media platforms to prevent them from being used as virtual megaphones to spread hateful and racist rhetoric.

It is the responsibility of governments in Canada and other democratic nations to reign in the social media giants since their leadership are unwilling to be good corporate citizens.  The “Wild West” environment in which social media has operated has proven to be a danger to civil society, social cohesion and democracy.   The time has come to regulate all social media companies for the sake of the common good, because failure to do so is a danger to the health and well-being of social media users and more broadly to civil society.

© 2021 The View From Here.  © 2021 Fareed Khan.  All Rights Reserved

Fighting pandemic of hate and racism in Canada must be a priority in the new Parliament

By Fareed Khan

If the results from the federal election say anything it is Canadian voters speaking loudly and telling Justin Trudeau, Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh to stop the politicking and get back to work.  One of the areas of business where Parliamentarians need to work harder when the House of Commons is back in session is to deal with Canada's other pandemic that has been around long before COVID-19, the pandemic of hate and racism that has been ignored for decades, which has resulted in deadly violence, and for which insufficient resources and political capital have been committed.

Many Canadians were incredulous that during the election campaign the issue of fighting hate and racism was barely mentioned, despite the fact that 60 per cent of Canadians see racism as a serious problem facing the country.  An IPSOS study released on September 3rd revealed that there is increased awareness among Canadians about the continued mistreatment against Indigenous people, domestic terrorism targeting Muslim Canadians, racism against Black Canadians, and anti-Asian hate crimes.  This awareness has led to Canadians expecting governments to implement policies and programs to address these issues.

The lack of discussion about fighting hate during the campaign defies logic considering that since May 2020 Canadians have come out in the tens of thousands to protest in the streets against hate and racial injustice.  Canadians called for racial justice for Black people in the thousands following the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in the US.  They took to the streets again in the thousands calling for action to fight Islamophobia following the murder of the Afzaal Family in London, Ontario in an act of anti-Muslim hate.  They demonstrated in the thousands again in support of justice for Indigenous people following the discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at former residential school sites.  In light of this racial awakening and public calls for action it makes no sense that the leaders of the three major parties did not make these issues key points in their campaign messaging. 

However, Trudeau and Singh should be commended in one respect.  Among the three major parties the Liberals and NDP both included sections dedicated to addressing racism and hate, demonstrating that they are aware of the importance of these issues to Canadians.  Yet despite that political nod to these concerns it is puzzling that the Liberals and NDP chose not to highlight them in their messaging to set themselves apart from the Conservatives, who did not do themselves any favours when they avoided using the words “racism” and “Islamophobia” anywhere in the Conservative campaign platform.  This not only showed the inability (or unwillingness) of O’Toole’s party to address the concerns of racialized Canadians, but it was a clear indication of the party's very weak commitment to fighting hate and supporting racial justice.  It does not bode well for O’Toole or his party's future prospects among Canadians who see fighting racism as a priority.

On the matter of Quebec's Bill 21 "seculrism" law none of the political leaders scored any political points with racialized communities when they sacrificed human rights on the altar of political expediency.  Trudeau, O’Toole and Singh turned their backs on those impacted by the racist legislation when they refused to challenge outrageous allegations made by Bloc Québécois Leader Yves François Blanchet.  In a media scrum following the English language debate Blanchet claimed that the moderator had called all Quebecers "racists" by asking a question about the Quebec law.  Instead of taking a principled stand against this outrageous accusation all three federalist party leaders retreated into their corners and let Blanchet dominate the narrative around the issue, perpetuating the ridiculous myth that the law was about defending secularism in Quebec.

The one man who must be singled out for his position on Bill 21 is Jagmeet Singh.  It was supremely discouraging that an observant Sikh who knows the law was unwilling to commit to taking action to defend the rights of observant Sikhs, Muslims and Jews in Quebec, despite claims that the NDP will be there for the people that need them.

When Parliament reconvenes, anti-racism and human rights activists expect Trudeau, O'Toole, and Singh to get to work to decisively address these issues, and help Canadians to push back the ever-increasing hate and the rise of white supremacy we are seeing across the country.

We will be watching and we will hold our federal political leaders accountable for their actions or lack thereof.

© 2021 The View From Here.  © 2021 Fareed Khan.  All Rights Reserved