Greetings family,
My name is Omar Kinnarath I am a 40 year old, a single father and a business owner. I am a proud Muslim and a very public antifascist activist living in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.
Since 2017, because the success of the organization I am involved with FF1 in countering hate groups in Winnipeg:
https://globalnews.ca/news/3288150/opposing-rallies-clash-outside-city-hall-saturday/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/fake-news-diversity-rallies-winnipeg-1.4282568
I have been the target of constant harassment and doxxing campaigns by the Canadian Far right, I have had my life and the life of my family threatened online and in person, Ive had my employer called and harrassed for employing me and it's a pretty safe assumption that due to my public profile and the fact that I am everything the Canadian far right despises in one person (I am a refugee, a muslim,a person of colour, a leftist and an antifascists) that I am one of the most targeted activists in Canada.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rally-organizer-getting-online-threats-1.4012823
In July 2019 I along with several other antifascists informed a local gallery here that they were renting space to the People's Party of Canada. If you have been keeping up with Canadian Politics, the PPC is an anti-immigrant, far right populist party who's leader Maxime Bernier is a sitting MP and is running for Prime Minister of Canada. When the gallery owner canceled the PPC's booking due to their safe space and inclusive policy. The CEO of the Winnipeg Centre PPC EDA posted a picture with me with all my contact information an called me a "terrorist" on both her personal face book (reported and taken down twice) as well as the PPC Winnipeg Centre EDA twitter handle,
You can read about that situation here:
https://www.antihate.ca/we_convinced_an_art_gallery
from then on I was harassed online constantly by PPC supporters and others on the Canadian Far-Right's hatesphere. Which culminated in 2 PPC supporters coming to my store physically to harass and confront me and took videos of my store. disclosed the location for the expressed purpose of compounding further harassment.
In September, I retained legal counsel and began legal proceedings a notice of claim was sent to 4 parties:
Monique Choiselat- Former CEO of the Winnipeg Centre
Yogi Henderson- The PPC candidate for Winnipeg Centre
Steven Fletcher - The PPC candidate for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley and former Conservative MP
People's Party of Canada Headquarters.
more information here:
https://ricochet.media/en/2726/winnipeg-anti-fascist-suing-the-peoples-party-of-canada
https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2019/09/17/ppc-apology-legal-action-bernier/
We had asked to settle this matter in a reasonable manner with the party but they like their parties platform responded reactionary and did not take what is clear case of defamation seriously and they have decided to let their candidates and former staffer fight their own legal battle.
This is where I need the help,
of all Canadians who believe that diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism are the pillars of Canadian society and are disgusted by how the PPC is receiving a national platform for their reactionary populist agenda. They harbour racists in the party, they are climate change deniers and they feel that its ok to the defame people and put them in harmful situations because they will not receive any push back and consequences.
This ends now.
To make this happen I need to raise money for the upfront cost of this litigation which in Canada, is very expensive considering that there will be processing fees and potential travel involved and part of the reason why when someone calls a muslim man a "terrorist" on a public platform it never gets punished.
THEY DO NOT THINK THAT WE HAVE THE MEANS TO FIGHT THIS.
Lets make sure they know, that they are not only fighting me, but they are fighting all of us and hopefully we can do something to prevent this type of defamation and harassment of racialized folks and activists.
With that all being said, I want to let you all know that if there are additional proceeds in excess of what is required for legal expenses, they will be donated to:
Islamic Social Services Canada
The Canadian Muslim Women's Institute
2 great organizations here in WInnipeg that do fantastic work with newcomer and muslim communities .
Thank you for reading this family, and please share with anyone who can help me pushback against the PPC and their agenda of ignorance and hate.
Omar Kinnarath,