Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie stood up in council Wednesday and adamantly declared, “I stand by the remarks I made,” refusing to apologize to a group of residents alleging she had labelled them racists for refusing to support a new mosque.
Crombie told residents — who presented a petition demanding an apology, claiming she had turned a planning issue into a race issue — that she singled out only one resident at a council meeting two weeks ago for his views.
Kevin Johnston admitted distributing literature urging people to support stopping the mosque. He claimed if the mosque is built current residents would leave in droves, creating “another Canadian cultural hole.” He argued the mosque did not fit with the neighbourhood, would drive up crime and vandalism, set back women’s rights and impact housing prices.
The brochure depicted a Canadian flag with a Muslim crescent moon and star in the middle, instead of the maple leaf, offering it as a warning to readers. He urged people to visit his website, stopthemosque.com and sign a petition.
Johnston has since changed the content of the website to focus only on planning issues.
“It was uncalled for, it was unCanadian, it was heinous and it was wrong,” Crombie responded to the group of residents demanding an apology inside the council chamber, as a much larger group that filled one side of the seats erupted in applause.
In a verbal statement at council on Wednesday Johnston said he has paid a price for his position.
“What I would also like to say here is the term hate monger was regrettably brought forth by yourself Madame Mayor. It is something that well, congratulations to you, cost me my job and also, congratulations to you, cost me the ability to work locally so I will have to probably work outside of Mississauga but I won't be leaving.”
“What I do want to say clearly to the entire Muslim community (is that) I do want to talk to you this is not something where I'm saying I am anti-Muslim, I am not anti-individual but I do know the problems that will come up with this building so if you do want to have conversations please call me," he said.
A clutch of supporters in the audience applauded his statement.
Two weeks ago, Crombie asked Johnston to answer for the statements he had published, lashing out at him for spreading intolerant views.
“You can count on me to always speak out against hateful rhetoric,” she said Wednesday.
The petition said Crombie had alleged those opposed to the mosque, “had a racist purpose or similar hidden agenda...implying that anyone disagreeing with her is a 'racist'”.
Councillors defended Crombie, stating she only singled out Johnston at the meeting two weeks ago.
Councillor Pat Saito, who represents the Meadowvale area where the proposed mosque is planned, was the only councillor who didn't support it.
Other councillors pointed out to her Wednesday that the application meets all the city's requirements and there are no grounds to oppose it.
But Saito persisted, demanding Crombie apologize to “my residents”.
Crombie pointed out that Saito's residents include the large number of Muslims who live in her ward and invited Saito to bring forward a motion demanding an apology, stating she would agree to it if council supported the motion. Saito tried, but could not get any of her council colleagues to second the motion. The motion died before it was introduced.
Shortly afterward council finalized the vote to approve the mosque.