By Clara Ho, Calgary Herald
May 9, 2012
CALGARY — Nothing could prepare
Antonia Mohamed for the ugly sight she saw as she walked to her car for
work last Wednesday morning.
Deeply etched on the driver’s side of her grey 2007 Honda Civic was a racial slur — the N-word.
“I was definitely shocked, hurt, a little bit disheartened,” said the 35-year-old, whose family is from Trinidad, but was born and raised in Canada.
The woman said she now plans to move out of the complex — maybe even out of town.
The car was parked in an assigned stall in a private lot attached to the southwest condo complex where she lives.
She immediately phoned the police. Officers advised the woman not to touch the vehicle and immediately came to investigate.
Const. Brian Denison of the hate crimes unit said investigators have made inquiries in the neighbourhood and are looking for surveillance video.
“We’ll make sure we investigate it thoroughly and are looking at laying charges,” Denison said.
Unfortunately, property damage motivated by hate is common in Calgary and one of the largest groupings of hate crimes in Canada, the constable said.
“There’s a lot of that happening, but not in the public eye. People are doing this in the cloak of darkness, where no one really knows,” Denison said, adding many of the perpetrators tend to be between the ages of 13 and 23. “It’s somebody scratching hateful things in cars and swastikas on schools and synagogues.”
Mohamed said she’s had minor racist comments directed at her before, but has never experienced such an incident where property damage has been done.
“I had to do a double-take,” she said. “I thought it was a joke. I tried to rub it off, but once it hits you and reality sets in, it’s permanent damage and it’s gross ignorance.”
Mohamed said she suspects she knows who was behind the hurtful vandalism — someone with whom she has had a run-in before — and has passed that information on to police.
Now she’s stuck dealing with the insurance company and finding an autobody shop to repair the damage.
In addition to the racist word, Mohamed said an unknown symbol was carved into the hood, the passenger door was kicked in, and the rear bumper was damaged.
The vehicle will have to be repainted at a cost she estimated at upwards of $4,000.
In the meantime, she’s driving the car with a white garbage bag partially concealing the vandalism.
“Who does this in 2012?” Mohamed said. “Apparently people still do, but I can’t wrap my head around it.”
cho@calgaryherald.com
Deeply etched on the driver’s side of her grey 2007 Honda Civic was a racial slur — the N-word.
“I was definitely shocked, hurt, a little bit disheartened,” said the 35-year-old, whose family is from Trinidad, but was born and raised in Canada.
The woman said she now plans to move out of the complex — maybe even out of town.
The car was parked in an assigned stall in a private lot attached to the southwest condo complex where she lives.
She immediately phoned the police. Officers advised the woman not to touch the vehicle and immediately came to investigate.
Const. Brian Denison of the hate crimes unit said investigators have made inquiries in the neighbourhood and are looking for surveillance video.
“We’ll make sure we investigate it thoroughly and are looking at laying charges,” Denison said.
Unfortunately, property damage motivated by hate is common in Calgary and one of the largest groupings of hate crimes in Canada, the constable said.
“There’s a lot of that happening, but not in the public eye. People are doing this in the cloak of darkness, where no one really knows,” Denison said, adding many of the perpetrators tend to be between the ages of 13 and 23. “It’s somebody scratching hateful things in cars and swastikas on schools and synagogues.”
Mohamed said she’s had minor racist comments directed at her before, but has never experienced such an incident where property damage has been done.
“I had to do a double-take,” she said. “I thought it was a joke. I tried to rub it off, but once it hits you and reality sets in, it’s permanent damage and it’s gross ignorance.”
Mohamed said she suspects she knows who was behind the hurtful vandalism — someone with whom she has had a run-in before — and has passed that information on to police.
Now she’s stuck dealing with the insurance company and finding an autobody shop to repair the damage.
In addition to the racist word, Mohamed said an unknown symbol was carved into the hood, the passenger door was kicked in, and the rear bumper was damaged.
The vehicle will have to be repainted at a cost she estimated at upwards of $4,000.
In the meantime, she’s driving the car with a white garbage bag partially concealing the vandalism.
“Who does this in 2012?” Mohamed said. “Apparently people still do, but I can’t wrap my head around it.”
cho@calgaryherald.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
If anyone has any information please contact the police.
1 comment:
Being a member of the "movement" I find this childish and immature.I am not sure how people who view themselves as superior can act like such dumb asses.
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