It is hard to respond to hate with love and tolerance.

But when a woman let off a racist rant after mistaking a Sikh politician for a Muslim, he responded with remarkable kindness.

Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh had barely started his meet and greet when a woman accosted him.

Singh - who is currently running for leadership of the federal NDP - valiantly continued his mic check as the woman accused him of being "in bed" with Sharia and the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is worth repeating that Singh is a Sikh, not a Muslim.

In a situation where many restrained, harmonious people would find their tolerance tested, Singh stayed calm and addressed his audience with a message of love.

He said:

What do we believe in? We believe in love and courage, right? Love and courage!

Understandably, the crowd started chanting his name.

He continued:

What is this? We don't want to be intimidated by hate. We don't want hatred to ruin a positive event, right? We don't want hatred to ruin a positive event. So let's show people how we would treat someone with love.

Singh released a similarly inspiring statement after the event, explaining that he avoided saying that he wasn't actually a Muslim because "it suggests hate would be ok if I was Muslim".

Read the full statement here:

As the first turban-wearing Sikh man to sit as an MPP in Ontario and one of the most prominent Sikh politicians in Canada, Singh is no stranger to racism.

On Canadian Multiculturalism Day, he shared some personal experiences.