HARRISTON – The Minto community came together to celebrate diversity and take a stand against intolerance here on June 28.
About 100 people attended the celebration dubbed Stand United in Minto, which was organized by the Town of Minto, its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee and the local cultural roundtable.
Roundtable chair and DEI member Peggy Raftis explained the celebration had its roots in a solidarity march held on June 14, 2021 to “show support against horrible acts of violence that took place in London, followed by another act of hate and Islamophobia here in Minto.”
“Tonight we are standing together in celebration as we recommit to the equity diversity and inclusion of all people in Minto,” she stated.
Raftis drew attention to posters displaying statements and commitments made by participants of the 2021 march.
“The words are powerful,” said Raftis, who asked those in attendance to join in creating a “community weave” by writing statements and commitments on banners to be woven together in a frame.
“A single piece of material is flimsy, but when woven together becomes a beautiful and strong cloth. We may not complete it this evening, but as each piece is added the colors blend and the cloth is much stronger, as Minto will be when we stand together,” she explained.
“As we gather here this evening, the expectation is that we are here to support each other, to learn and build a positive and inclusive Minto as we stand together to show that hate will not be tolerated,” she stated.
Community weave – Attendees at the Stand United in Minto event contributed to a community weave as a statement against hate and intolerance.
After providing a land acknowledgement, Colleen Brunelle, chair of the County of Wellington’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, invited attendees to participate in a smudging ceremony.
Minto Mayor Dave Turton then took the podium to welcome the crowd and thank the organizers for their efforts.
“The Town of Minto does pride ourselves on being a safe and welcoming town where all families belong and feel safe in our communities,” said Turton.
“Our vision for Minto is a friendly, safe, affordable, family-oriented, rural community, built on a foundation of respect, volunteerism, and prosperous business, sustained by people who value neighbourliness, fairness and inclusiveness,” he added.
Turton said that since 2006, inclusivity has been a part of the town’s mission statement.
“Tonight, we come together standing in solidarity against racism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and all other forms of hate. The Town of Minto has stood beside and supported the work of Minto Pride since 2019. More recently, we have formed a Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee whose goals include to advise and assist staff, council and the citizens of the Town of Minto on matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that Minto lives up to the commitment to be a welcoming and an inclusive rural community,” the mayor stated.
Minto Cultural Roundtable chair Peggy Raftis, right, addresses the crowd at Stand United in Minto on June 28, as from left: event speaker Ekram Al Momani, Mayor Dave Turton and Colleen Brunelle, chair of the County of Wellington’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, look on.
Members of the Syrian community, including Harriston resident Ahmad Almohommad led attendees in a traditional Syrian dance.
Ekram Al Momani from the County of Wellington settlement services staff spoke on Islam and the meaning of the hijab.
She explained that Islam, like other religions “varies in style in our practice from one country to another, from culture to culture, from person to person.”
Likewise, she noted, “the practice of hijab among Muslim woman has taken many forms and styles,” before demonstrating the various ways the garment can be worn.
KawKab Almohommad, who was 13 when she came to the community with her family shared her experiences wearing a hijab in the local community.
“I think I was the only one who’s wearing a hijab at school, at Minto Clifford,” she recalled.
“So everyone would give me strange looks and they were all confused,” she said.
KawKab said she was sometimes asked if she was wearing a towel on her head because her hair was wet, or if she was covering up baldness.
‘It wasn’t bad. It was just a lot of people were curious about it,” she explained.
“It was a little bit better in high school, because there were a few other girls that were wearing the hijab so it wasn’t like I was the centre of the attention … but still I would get a lot of stares.
“But I think overall my experience here was really positive, because I wasn’t bullied … I wasn’t insulted … people were just curious and confused and then they were kind,” KawKab explained.
The event, held at the Harriston-Minto Community Centre Pavilion also featured music, chalk art and an opportunity to visits booths set up by a variety of community groups.
Anyone interested in more information on, or in joining or contributing to the DEI committee is encouraged to contact Minto economic and community development director Belinda Wick Graham at belinda@town.minto.on.ca.
