Imams ask Conservative candidate to quit over poor follow-up on apology for posts
The Canadian Council of Imams says the Conservative candidate in Nova Scotia's Central Nova riding must resign because his apology for Islamophobic media posts was an insincere attempt at damage control.
Two weeks ago, Steven Cotter apologized on Facebook for earlier posts he made about Shariah law and supporting a ban on the burka worn by some Muslim women.
However the imams say when Cotter met with local Muslim leaders on Sept. 15, he repeated his apology but "refused to say anything else" in answer to questions about what he would do to address Islamophobia.
The imams say they can only interpret Cotter's silence as a refusal to reflect and learn as he promised to do in his apology, and they say requests to the Conservative party for further engagements were turned down.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole fired a Toronto candidate over Islamophobic social media posts she claims are not hers but he kept Cotter in the race.
O'Toole told The Canadian Press on Sept. 11 that he wanted to retain candidates on a team that would unite the country and help restore the economy.
Cotter didn't respond to an emailed message to his Facebook site, and the spokesman for the Conservatives wasn't immediately available for comment about the council's statement.
Cotter is running in a riding won in the past by prominent Tories Peter MacKay and Brian Mulroney, and currently held by the Liberals' Sean Fraser.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.