A victory over hate speech and the meaning of the Canadian Dream

A recent court decision is a victory for all Canadians who value tolerance and inclusivity — and want to live in a country in which those who spread hatred are held to account.

A judge of the Ontario Superior Court ruled that I was defamed by Kevin Johnston, who used his hate-speech website to describe me — and the customers who eat at my restaurants — as “jihadists” who are “up to something nefarious.”

The judge described Johnston’s claims as “a loathsome example of hate speech at its worst, targeting people solely because of their religion.”

On the day I received the court’s judgment, I couldn’t wait for my kids to get home from school. I was so eager to read the decision to them. I have always told my children that it’s important not only to speak out against bullies and bigots — but to stand up to them.

When we read the news these days, it can feel as though the bad guys are winning. I’m talking in particular about those who hate — not only those in Europe and the United States, but also here in Canada.

Hate has always been with us. But lately, the people who hate have grown louder and bolder. They have emerged from the dark corners of the internet. They feel safe to announce — even to celebrate — their intolerance.

Any Muslim knows prejudice. As does any black man or woman. Any Jew. Any Hindu. Any minority. But today, we feel it and experience it more.

Sometimes when I get upset, I go to my computer. I go to YouTube. I listen to the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. I like being reminded that there are people whose dreams are not for their own success or achievement — but for the betterment of all.

The words of King serve as a reminder: it is not enough for any of us to remain silent in our condemnation of bigotry. In the face of hate, silence is like a wink. It says: “I’m fine with what you’re doing. Go ahead and push the boundaries a little bit more.”

To triumph over hate, we need a steady gaze and a firm spine. Most important, we need to stand up and speak out — we all need to stand up and speak out — against those who seek to divide and diminish us. That’s why it was so important to me to file this defamation suit and follow it through to completion.

No country is perfect in its history. Canada has turned away Jews. It has turned away Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. It has discriminated against blacks, Asians and others. It has subjected Indigenous children to a system of widespread abuse. These are dark moments of intolerance or indifference.

Yet Canada has grown. We have acknowledged and learned from our mistakes. We must keep it that way. We must keep Canada warm and welcoming.

This is a time of opportunity for our country. A chance to stand up for what is right and what is good.

In the face of intolerance, we can come together. In the face of hate, we can love. As other countries close themselves off to the world, we can open our doors wider.

We do not often speak of a Canadian Dream. But perhaps we should.

The American Dream is about the self, the individual. It’s about striving for riches and the comforts they bring. Even the symbol of the dream — the white picket fence — is about separating some people from others.

What should be the Canadian Dream? It should be a dream for us all, not only for ourselves. It should recognize that Canada works best when its people work and live together in community and respect.

When we stand together, in good times and bad.

When we speak together, in opposition to hate and those who try to divide us.

And when we join together, in building a country where intolerance is pushed to the farthest fringes — and shouted down each and every time it raises its voice.

There will always be people who hate from their bones. But together we can make them smaller in number, smaller in influence, smaller and smaller until they all but disappear.

That is my Canadian Dream. And I hope it is yours.