Now it is evidence of “racist views and anti-Islamic views” simply to ask whether or not Islam is a religion of peace. The question cannot even be asked without bringing on a police investigation. Simply asking about the content of Islamic doctrine is not allowed. It is a nefarious, “sneaky way to make people feel othered.”

But the question nonetheless lingers in the air, and Sherwood Park residents will have to deal with it sooner or later: “Islam: Religion of Peace? What if it isn’t?”

“‘Sneaky way to make people feel othered’: Sherwood Park resident rips down anti-Muslim sticker,” CBC News, September 22, 2019 (thanks to Henry):

A Sherwood Park resident who removed an Islamophobic sticker from a sign near her bus stop says she’s angry about the attempt to spread hate in her community. Trish Agrell-Smith said she was headed to a bus stop near Fir Street and Cedar Street last week when she spotted the sticker on the back of a sign. “The sticker is not a platform for sharing ideas. It is an anonymous, subtle, sneaky way to make people feel othered,” she said. Text on the sticker asks if Islam is a religion of peace, and lists a website where readers can learn more. The web address leads to a crudely constructed blog featuring lengthy posts that draw on racist ideas, referencing white supremacist tropes and warnings against multiculturalism and diversity.

No examples are presented, so that the reader can make his or her own judgment as to the veracity of the website’s contents. We’re just supposed to take the CBC’s word for it.

The sticker was too high up for her to reach when she first spotted it so she returned after work with her husband, bringing along a stool and a scraper and removed the sticker. She decided to post about it on social media, to make the point that this kind of message isn’t acceptable. “It’s not my place to speak on anyone’s behalf, but I would really hope that what action I have taken can provide the opportunity for others to have a platform,” she said.

Except for those who doubt that Islam is a religion of peace.