Calls grow to ensure international students feel at home in September
Western University and Fanshawe College is a second home for many international students, but do they all feel welcome? And could the alleged terrorist incident on June 6 make it harder to attract new international students?
“As the events played out, it’s like I am not really safe anywhere.”
Some international students at Western and Fanshawe are struggling in recent days to feel secure in the London Ont., community.
For Muslim student, Areej Ansari it's important to change that.
“As a visibly Muslim girl I have had classmates tell me to just take it off (points to hijab) and stuff like that is not acceptable.”
As of this school year, 16 per cent of Western’s student population is international, with 37 per cent making up Fanshawe’s student population.
The Muslim Student Association at Western (MSA), says the key is not just saying students are welcome, but by reflecting their needs on campus.
Ansari says this can happen, by creating more prayer rooms on campus and being conscious of exam periods not falling on Muslim holidays.
Chris Alleyne, Associate Vice-President Housing & Ancillary services at Western University, says the university is committed to working closely with international students - voicing this is just the beginning of steps to come to promote equity, diversity and inclusion on campus.
‘Western is committed to creating a safe and vibrant community that supports diversity and supports our incoming students. I think the most recent horrible murders we saw are raising some increased levels of concerns and worry, so my offer to them is to reach out to us.’
Four members of the Afzaal family were killed June 6 when they were hit by a vehicle while out for a walk in their neighbourhood.
Nathaniel Veltman, 20, was arrested shortly after and charged with four-counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Police have said that they believe Veltman did not know the family, but targeted them with his vehicle because of their Muslim faith.
A London Mosque spokesperson, Zeba Hashmi, says members of the mosque do their best to make sure new Canadians feel at home in London Ont.
“This is their home. I remember when I was new to London from Saskatchewan, this was the first place I headed to, the mosque. This is the place to find your future friends and you connect through the city through the mosque.”
Areej Ansari, says at the end of the day, it’s up to those non-international students to make everyone feel safe at school come September.
“I think as the odd one out it's hard to stand up for yourself, you shouldn’t put them in a position where they feel vulnerable either, because that is when they assimilate just to fit in.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.