What’s Not Canada?

Convivium, 18 January 2018

Convivium’s editor in chief asks why more care wasn’t put into investigating a young girl’s tale about her sliced hijab – for her sake and for Canada’s

“I don’t know why he did that, but it’s just not Canada,” said Saima Samad, mother of Khawlah Noman, the 11-year-old girl who reported that a man with scissors had cut her hijab, twice, on her way to school.

It’s just not Canada. The Toronto Sun led with that quotation on its front, with a full-page picture of Khawlah.

Her Majesty’s first minister is in full agreement with Khawlah’s mother.
"I want her and her family and her friends and community to know that that is not what Canada is,” Justin Trudeau said just a few hours after the girl’s press conference.

As it turned out, it’s not Canada, after all.

Who knows why Kwahlah lied about what happened? Did an 11-year-old and her little brother concoct an ill-conceived prank on the way to school that got out of hand? Was the little brother rough housing, as little brothers do, and tear the hijab accidently, causing the kids to cobble together a cover story, unaware news editors the world over would slaver intensely at it? Is it even possible that the parents orchestrated and coached their kids through it? 

We’ll never know, as the Toronto police and the Toronto District School Board are running away from this hot mess as fast as they can, rightfully embarrassed that they were so easily fooled by an 11-year-old.

Read more at Convivium:
https://www.convivium.ca/articles/what%E2%80%99s-not-canada