Canada: Two more women journalists of color targeted as deeply racist, organised hate campaign escalates

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October 4, 2021 – The widespread hate campaign against journalists of color escalated on Monday with two more women journalists receiving threatening and abusive emails. At least 17 journalists were targeted after right-wing politician Maxime Bernier tweeted a provocative message inciting his supporters. Freelance sports journalist Shireen Ahmed and CBC host Angela Sterritt were the latest targets of the ongoing hate campaign, weaponized racist and misogynistic language to threaten, intimidate and silence journalists of color. Maxime’s tweet has since been deleted but the organised campaign against journalists has continued unabated, with many of the vile emails sent from the same email account. 

 The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is deeply concerned about the escalating threats to the safety of women journalists and journalists of color. We reiterate our demand for Canadian authorities to swiftly investigate these attacks and identify the perpetrators. Journalists must be informed about their safety and must be free to do their jobs without threats and intimidation. 

Shireen was the 16th woman journalist to be targeted. The journalist and sports activist was sent a vile and deeply racist email, as the CFWIJ recorded. The email sent to Shireen contained gendered and Islamophobic insults and accused of her being “racist against Jewish”. The harasser used religious and racist slurs against Shireen and demanded she leave the “White Civilised country”.  

 CBC host Angela was sent a similar email containing deeply disturbing racist and gendered insults. “Hate mail calling me a squaw,” said Angela as she took to Twitter to share a screenshot of the hateful  email. ‘Squaw’ is widely perceived as a racial and ethnic slur historically used to insult indigenous women. The harasser directed other racially charged and misogynistic expletives at Angela and questioned her ethnicity and birth in the email, which referred to Angela as “halfbreed”. On Twitter, Angela rebutted the claims levelled in the vicious email and shared details of her indigenous heritage.

“For any other PPC folks genuinely concerned about my Indigeneity (lol), my entire lineage, including my grandpa’s grooming to be our house groups’ hereditary leader, is recorded in my late uncles’ book. Our family tree is listed in it too,” she said on Twitter.

The spate of threatening emails has continued for nearly two weeks now with negligible action taken by the Canadian authorities. Since the first incident was identified, at least 17 women journalists of colour have come forward, sharing screenshots of racist and deeply gendered emails sent to them. The journalists have highlighted that most emails were sent from a common email account. 

 The CFWIJ is following the ongoing organized hate campaign with great concern. We condemn these attempts to intimidate women journalists and silence their voices. We urge the Canadian authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators behind these vicious attacks to book and ensure the safety of these journalists.