B.C. candidate apologizes for 'unacceptable' comments about Muslims, Palestinians
One of the B.C. Conservative candidates running in the province's second-largest city has apologized for "completely unacceptable" comments he made about Muslims and Palestinians.
Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman's years-old remarks resurfaced on social media this week, in screenshots shared by CKNW radio host Jas Johal.
- Related: Get full campaign coverage on our B.C. election site
One screenshot shows Chapman, while commenting on a Facebook post from November 2015, referring to Palestinians as "inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs."
Another shows Chapman sharing an article on "Muslim inbreeding," along with concerns, which he attributed to an unnamed friend, that "coexistence with Islam" was “absolutely not” possible.
Approximately one in 20 households in Surrey identify as Muslim, according to the latest census data from Statistics Canada.
Contacted for comment, Chapman acknowledged making the remarks in Johal's post, and offered his "sincerest apologies" to anyone hurt by his words.
"The language I used and sentiments I expressed at that time towards Palestinians and members of the Islamic faith were completely unacceptable," Chapman wrote, in a statement. "They do not reflect who I am today or the respect and admiration I hold for the Palestinian and Muslim communities."
The Conservative added that since making those social media comments, he has travelled to "Muslim-majority countries and (built) meaningful relationships with members of the Muslim community in Canada."
"These experiences have broadened my understanding of Islam and deepened by appreciation for the incredible contributions Muslims make in our communities, both locally in Surrey and across Canada," Chapman said.
The B.C. Conservative Party also shared a statement with CTV News, on behalf of Vancouver-Kensington candidate Syed Mohsin, describing Chapman as “a friend of the Muslim community.”
“Brent is a friend of mine, and I have known him for many years. At no point have I ever felt that Brent harboured any views or beliefs that are espoused in those comments,” Mohsin said.
Voting day in the B.C. election is Saturday, Oct. 19, but advanced voting opened Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump and Harris rack up early wins as America awaits battleground results
Former U.S. president Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris notched early wins in reliably Republican and Democratic states, respectively, as a divided America made its decision in a stark choice for the nation's future Tuesday.
These swing states will likely decide the U.S. presidential election
These swing states will most likely determine the path to the presidency, with candidates needing to win some combination of votes to get them across the 270 mark to secure a majority.
Canada 'deeply concerned' after alleged Russian sabotage plot
The Canadian government says it has raised concerns directly with Russian officials after media reports this week revealed an alleged Russian sabotage operation. The alleged plot included plans to send parcels packed with incendiary devices aboard aircraft destined for Canada and the United States.
Government calls $9M condo purchase an 'operational decision'
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly defends the purchase of a $9 million condo for the Consulate General of New York City at a parliamentary committee, as a necessary investment.
'I'm not proud of it': Jason Kelce apologizes after video shows him spiking a cellphone after fan used a homophobic slur
Jason Kelce issued an apology during ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown' after a viral video captured a 'heated moment' between the retired Super Bowl champion and a fan over the weekend.
Who's going to win? The election prediction roundup
Outlets across the United States have been crunching numbers, parsing polls and working their magic models to predict the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election.
Live election results: Trump and Harris score early wins as vote-counting picks up in battleground states
Donald Trump won Florida on Tuesday for the third consecutive election, earning the state's 30 electoral votes, according to AP.
How exit polls work and what they will tell us on election night
Exit polls are a set of surveys that ask voters whom they voted for, as well as additional questions about their political opinions, the factors they considered in the election and their own backgrounds more broadly.
Hoax bomb threats linked to Russia target polling places in U.S. battleground states, FBI says
Hoax bomb threats, many of which appeared to originate from Russian email domains, were directed on Tuesday at polling locations in four battleground states - Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin - as U.S. election day voting was underway, the FBI said.