WWEC Statement on US Travel Ban and Islamophobia
February 1, 2017|Posted in: Uncategorised
In the current political climate in the United States, workers have drawn into a dangerous narrative of blaming members of non-Christian religions, women, newcomers, and racialized people for problems of un/under-employment and a general sense of loss of entitlements that somehow takes away rights from white males. We as Canadians are not, as horribly demonstrated by the Quebec City Mosque shooting, immune to this false narrative in Canada.
The Windsor Workers’ Education Centre (WWEC) exists to educate and advocate for non-union workers. Over the last three years in particular, we have come into contact with many newcomers, both recent and established, who are women of colour who experience racism, sexism, and attacks on their worth and dignity in the non-union vegetable packaging plants in the area. WWEC has established a Women’s Sewing Collective with the goal of establishing it as a worker cooperative. Working cooperatively despite seeming barriers of language, culture, and religion is a significant way of breaking free from Islamophobia, racism, misogyny, and fear.
The Windsor Workers’ Education Centre, situated on the border with Detroit, condemns the racist immigration and refugee ban in the United States and we stand in solidarity with our fellow Muslim citizens who are our Sisters and Brothers. We also call on our Prime Minister to, without reservation, condemn the racist immigration policies of the Trump administration. Canada is an officially multicultural country and our elected leaders must defend targeted citizens against all who advocate racist attacks.
To do our part, WWEC is declaring the centre a safe space and will be reaching out to the community to help us conduct workshops on race, working class solidarity, and building worker cooperatives. Building a cooperative economy and defending the interests of all working class people is the way to ‘trump’ fear and hate.
February 1, 2017
Paul Chislett
Board president WWEC, member at large Social Justice Windsor District Labour Council. President, Global Resource Centre.