TORONTO, July 9, 2009 - The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) is deeply concerned about the terrible racist assault on Friday night by three white men upon Jay Phillips, a 38 year-old black man in Courtenay, BC. The assault is one more reminder that the ugly disease of racism is still alive and well in Canada. As a world leader in human rights, Canada needs to take stronger measures to eradicate racism and racial discrimination from our midst.
Racism is driven by hatred against identifiable groups of people because of their racial or religious background. It is based on the belief that certain races have inferior characteristics and do not deserve an equal place and opportunity in our society. “We believe that there is a need to go beyond words and allocate adequate resources to ensure a harmonious future for all communities in the country,” commented Dr. Ayman Al-Yassini, Senior Executive Vice President of the CRRF . “Our public institutions have the primary responsibility of setting the example by removing all barriers in employment and social services which continue to plague members of racialized communities.”