The Green Party candidate in the Simcoe-North riding in Ontario has resigned after a 2007 post emerged saying he would mail pieces of a pig’s carcass to Muslims.
Erik Schomann, the candidate, stepped down in a statement released by the Greens.
“Today the Green Party of Canada accepted Erik Schomann’s resignation as a candidate in Simcoe North,” said the party in a statement.
“The Green Party has zero tolerance for sexism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia or hate speech of any kind.”
According to Global News, The National Council of Canadian Muslims had demanded the Green party to drop Schomann after a post emerged of him saying “we sent the left-overs to Denmark in support of the protesters of the Muhammed comic,” while roasting a pig.
This comment was in reference to a 2005 case in Denmark after a Danish newspaper published a cartoon of Prophet Muhammed. This caused backlash from Muslim groups as Islam prohibits any visual depiction of the Prophet.
Pork, meanwhile, is considered Haram, or taboo, in Islam.
Mustafa Farooq, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said, “We call upon the Green Party of Canada to drop Mr. Schomann as a candidate.”
“While we greatly cherish the free speech rights of all Canadians, when you start promising to mail pieces of a pig carcass, you can no longer stand with the integrity and moral commitment that all those who wish to be elected must have,” he added.
Farooq concluded by saying, “Sending pieces of a pig carcass, of course, is a common practice amongst members of the alt-right who believe that sending pieces of a pig will intimidate our community. Indeed, prior to the Quebec City Mosque shootings, a pig’s head was left at the mosque.”
