Here’s a letter I wrote to Kidsfest.ca which happens every year at the Hamilton airport in February . I take my kids there every year and this year was the first time that the ICNA has been there complete with complimentary face painting and literature espousing Islam to my children who have not been exposed to any religious ideology. Needless to say I never did get a reply from the spineless organizers! I took out my name for this post as I would be hauled on the carpet by my employer as an islamophobe-Which is why I’ve never posted on Twitter. Only here at IDW do I feel secure in sharing this.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have attended Kidsfest this past few years and I can say it is a great event for all children and parents who attend. This year however I take issue with the presence of ICNA ( Islamic Circle of North America) at the event(16 Feb 2019) I expected my children to attend an event without the presence of any religious organization promoting their ideology. The ICNA booth was set up clearly promoting the tenets of Islam replete with literature completely inappropriate for my children four and eight years old respectively.
No other religious organization was present nor should they be at what one would consider a secular event free from any religious organizations. The ICNA is an organization that promotes intolerance to Jews and they are widely known for their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Perhaps this was an oversight by your organizers which I understand can happen when uninformed about the <strong>principles</strong> of such organizations specifically to promote their ideologies.
This is unacceptable at Kidsfdest or any other event where members of the public expect to attend an event free from any religious ideology.
Sincerely yours,
Thank you for standing your ground! They should not be there promoting religion or any ideology.