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Chilliwack Indian restaurants targeted with hateful emails

key2thecup

By key2thecup
in Off-Topic General

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Perfect From Now On Abbotsford Prospect

Perfect From Now On

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Posted

LOL @racism and these trained rabid lemmings calling people rednecks yet others racists.

Irony is you.

Isn't it funny how mannerisms, belief systems, etc are racist but the same few take no issue designating a bunch of people in Chilliwack throughout this thread "rednecks", " hillbillies", "old people" etc.

I quote a post that identifies this humorous set of double standards and I was lambasted as trying to "find people who agree with me".

No shortage of great material from the resident PC crowd, and right on cue comes it's punchline. :lol:

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Wetcoaster Canucks First-Line

Wetcoaster

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According to this report there is more to this than just hate spewing e-mails. It sounds as if crimes have been committed and if the crimes have been motivated by hate then additional criminal sanctions can be applied.

Police in Chilliwack are investigating after the owner of an Indian restaurant was sent an email filled with racial hatred suggesting his “people” should clear out because Chilliwack doesn’t “need folk from India and Surrey to pollute this city.”

The restaurant owner said his home was recently egged and someone tossed chicken bones on his doorstep several months ago, but at first he wrote those incidents off as teenage pranks.

After receiving a chilling message to his private email on Thursday, he says he reported the “chain” of incidents to the RCMP.

The owner said he is afraid to have his name published because he fears that could incite more racial targeting of himself and his restaurant, which he has invested $300,000 in.

“We have good customers but some people seem like they are in the 1950s still,” the owner said Saturday. “The racists don’t want me here in Chilliwack. The Supreme Court says racism and hate is a crime, and I think this [message] is harassment. My family is scared.”

The anonymous message writer says he is “well-connected” in Chilliwack,and he assures the owner that no matter how much he invests his restaurant will fail, because South Asians are not welcome in Chilliwack. The hateful email, obtained by The Province and Vancouver Desi, says: “Your people come from a third-world India living in mud houses and drinking cow piss and bathing in milk.”

“I speak on behalf of citizens of Chilliwack,” the writer says. “Your business is never going to succeed. Tell your people this is not a good place for them.”

“There are good people here, good families and we don’t need the folk from India and Surrey to pollute this city,” the writer concludes.

Mehtab Mann, a 21-year-old woman who lives in Chilliwack and is a friend of the owner, said she strongly believes the message writer has committed a hate crime, and should be charged.

“What upsets me most is how there are still people out there in this day in age who are committing such hate crimes,” Mann said. “Canada is known for its multiculturalism, and if you can’t accept that, then maybe this isn’t the place for you.”

Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said a Chilliwack RCMP investigator is working on the file after taking a statement from the owner. The owner told Vancouver Desi he understands that the investigator will recommend turning the case over to the RCMP’s hate crime unit.

“I think it’s too early in the investigation to determine if there will be charges as we are still attempting to determine the identity of the author,” Hollingsworth told Vancouver Desi. “This person’s comments are very disturbing to all of us.”

Under The Criminal Code of Canada if a judge finds a crime, such as an assault, intimidation, harassment or uttering threats, was motivated by hatred against a person or group because of who they are, tougher sentences can be applied.

Chilliwack, with a population of 92,300, has a much higher majority of white, English mother-tongue speakers than B.C.’s average, according to the 2011 census.

The hateful email, in its language, tone and twisted logic, seems to mirror two extremely negative online reviews against Chilliwack’s only two Indian restaurants. Both reviews were submitted to TripAdvisor.com on Dec. 29, 2012.

While slamming the food and “smell” in both restaurants, the anonymous reviewer says he thinks both restaurants will go out of business in Chilliwack, and both would do better in Surrey.

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/chilliwack-restaurant-owner-targeted-by-hateful-racist-email/513225/

And when there was a follow-up to the e-mail address the person apologized saying he/she was a restaurant owner in Chilliwack trying to eliminate competition and having mental problems.

The owner of an Indian restaurant in Chilliwack who received a racist email last week received messages of apology from the same address Monday morning.

Bay Leaf Restaurant owner Sumit Gulati told the RCMP about the Feb. 28 email in which an anonymous writer said the business, which has been open for more than two years, will fail.

“I promise you, if your restaurant stays in Chilliwack, it will never succeed,” the writer using a Hushmail. com address said. “Tell your people this is not a good place for them . . . . Your people come from a third-world India living in mud houses and drinking cow piss and bathing in milk.”

The writer also said he is “well connected” in the city. He ended the message with: “Let us live in peace without having to see your kind here.”

An identical email was also sent to the owners of Chilliwack’s only other Indian restaurant, Shandhar Hut.

The story was picked up by a number of media outlets as far away as India, where the Hindustan Times posted a story on its website Sunday.

Early Monday morning, Gulati received three more email messages in which the anonymous writer said he or she was sorry.

“I would like to apologize for the idiotic and hateful e-mail I sent recently,” the message received at 12:03 a.m. Monday began. “Although I will not reveal my identity, what I will admit is I am a restaurant owner and trying to eliminate competition. I was having a very bad day, business is slow and have some mental health issues I need to resolve.”

But Gulati doesn’t buy it.

“He’s just trying to clear his name because of everything in the media,” he told the Times at the Bay Leaf on Monday.

After reporting the email to the RCMP on Feb. 28, the anonymous emailer sent a message to police that same day also saying he was “having a bad day and mental health issues.”

He also asked what law he had violated.

Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth of the Chilliwack RCMP said an investigator is on the file and has been in contact with the hate crimes unit.

“We are still trying to determine if there is sufficient evidence to support any charges,” she said. “We are not going to be ruling anything out. Certainly this is not something we are going to dismiss.”

Gulati said about 16 days ago someone threw eggs at his Sardis home and a few months ago someone dumped chicken bones on his doorstep.

Gulati immigrated from India to Canada three-and-a-half years ago because of the standard of living and because the country is a land of immigrants. He said that while the incident upset him and scared his family, he has been buoyed by the hundreds of emails and phone calls of support he has received.

“The people do not accept this,” he said.

While talking with the Times, local realtor and founder of Cash Mob Chilliwack Scott McVetty came in to the restaurant to talk to Gulati. Cash Mob events involve local shoppers descending on a retail location to spend money and support local businesses.

McVetty asked Gulati if he could handle a Cash Mob influx this Friday. The restaurant owner said he welcomes the group.

Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz said on Facebook that a Cash Mob was a good idea.

“Love will always win over hate and hungry diners may relieve some of the sting!” she wrote.

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/nridiaspora/sender-of-racist-message-to-chilliwack-indian-restaurant-owner-emails-apology/514683/

And the response in the community has been to promote a "cash mob" to patronize the businesses targeted. And Mayor Sharon Gaetz is being quite proactive in responding to the issue.

Two restaurants in Chilliwack that recently received racially tinged emails will get a response of a different sort Friday.

The Bay Leaf and the Shandhar Hut, which both serve South Asian food, are being targeted by a “cash mob,” which organizer Scott McVetty said is like the social media phenomenon flash mob “but without the singing and dancing.”

McVetty said Wednesday a cash mob combines the flash mob with a shop-local initiative to help business — all through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and at no cost.

“We organize a group of people and go to the same venue and promise to spend some money,” said McVetty, a realtor who has organized a few other cash mobs with his “partner in crime” Dale Johnson, a web designer.

To avoid long lineups, McVetty is urging participants to go to the two restaurants for lunch, dinner or takeout. Anyone participating will be eligible for door prizes donated by other businesses.

Lucky Gulati of the Bay Leaf is happy about the initiative.

“That thing [the racial comments] was bad,” he said. “The people, they are supporting us, so that is a good thing.”

McVetty and Johnson gave credit for the idea to Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz, who called the pair into her office for a discussion.

Gaetz said she was monitoring social media sites discussing the situation being faced by the two restaurants, which had been told in an anonymous email that Chilliwack doesn’t need “folk from India and Surrey to pollute this city.”

Gaetz noticed that people were “incensed” by the comment and they wanted to respond by doing something like going for lunch. She was already aware of the previous Chilliwack Cash Mob efforts.

McVetty and Johnson didn’t need much persuading.

“I said to her, ‘When negative things happen, people watch to see how you’re going to react,’” recalled McVetty. “Right now, Canada is watching Chilliwack to see how we’ll react.”

Just a day after proposing to visit the two restaurants, the number of Facebook “likes” on the Chilliwack Cash Mob went up by 200 from what had been a stable 420.

“I think we’re in a period of time where you just can’t go out and say whatever you want, do whatever you want,” said McVetty. “There’s freedom of speech, but there’s also decency.”

Gaetz said she was acting on what Chilliwack residents were expressing.

“The community just said, ‘Enough of this,’” said Gaetz. “We certainly want people to know we are open to everyone.

“We’re going to celebrate that by eating food. How can it get any better than that?”

Gaetz is planning to participate in the cash mob.

“You bet,” she said. “It’s a good excuse for a date!”

Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth, the Chilliwack RCMP spokesman, was also supportive of the cash mob.

“I think it’s great the community is rallying around these people,” said Hollingsworth.

But the RCMP continue to investigate the emails, which were also sent to a taxi company. Police are urging the emails’ author to speak to them.

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/nridiaspora/cash-mob-to-descend-on-chilliwack-restaurants-targeted-by-racist-emails/515455/

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î мцšт вяздк чфµ Canucks Regular

î мцšт вяздк чфµ

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i experienced prejudice as a white polish immigrant kid in germany, when i was in like grade 2 i remember 3 punks always fighting only me after school, i took my share of beatings but dished some out aswell. germany as a whole is a great place, loved living there and i'm not going to judge a whole place by a few punks.

in this situation, i'm happy the restaurant owner is getting support from the community.

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Wetcoaster Canucks First-Line

Wetcoaster

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So it seems the "cash mob" strategy was a rousing success.

Sumit Gulati can finally feel at ease in the city he’s called home for the past three years.

Gulati, owner of Chilliwack’s The Bay Leaf Indian Buffet, spent most of last week afraid for his home and his family after he was attacked by an anonymous email filled with racial hatred suggesting his “people” should clear out because Chilliwack doesn’t “need folk from India and Surrey to pollute this city.”

His was one of three businesses to be targeted.

The email claimed it spoke “on behalf of citizens of Chilliwack.” Local residents have since proved it wrong.

Diners flowed in and out of Gulati’s restaurant on Vedder St. Friday to show their support in a cash mob organized by local residents Scott McVetty and Dale Johnson. (A cash mob is similar to a flash mob, but “without the singing and dancing” — it’s a “shop-local” initiative, but Friday’s was dual purposed to also show support of The Bay Leaf.)

“I really appreciate the Chilliwack people — they support me,” Gulati said, while taking a short break from his busy day. “I feel comfortable (now).”

Not only did Friday’s event put him at ease, but he’s been receiving phone calls, emails, letters and cards of support since the incident.

Chilliwack resident Marilyn Hornelle came in — to the restaurant she already eats at often — with the “whole family” to support the cash mob. Her granddaughter even helped serve.

“I feel sorry for the person who wrote (the letter),” Hornelle said as she finished her lunch. “(But) we’re not happy because that’s not the way people feel in Chilliwack . . . (there’s) no need for (that behaviour).”

Also sitting at Hornelle’s table was building owner Jagjit Toor who’s lived in Chilliwack for 32 years and owns several businesses across town.

“I love Chilliwack, the people are very good,” Toor said. “They’re behind us.”

Just a look around the bustling restaurant was telling enough.

“You can see it for yourself,” McVetty said, looking around the room. Johnson added: “So far (Friday has been) above and beyond what we thought it would be.”

About a 10-minute drive away, Shandhar Hut on Young Rd. — the other restaurant victim to the racist attack — was just as busy and feeling the love.

“It’s been insane,” part-owner Paul Atti said. “It’s been one of those days that you won’t forget.”

His restaurant has been open for eight years, and Sunday’s hateful letter was the first he’d ever received.

“The Chilliwack community just responded beyond what we thought was going to happen,” he said. “There was a line-up all the way out the door for us … all the tables were packed — take-out was flying. It looked like a Friday night for us.”

The anonymous emailer sent messages apologizing to the businesses on Monday, but RCMP continue to investigate the case.

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/racist-emails-chilliwack-residents-flock-to-support-targeted-restaurants/516768/

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Sidney Crosby. Canucks Rookie

Sidney Crosby.

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Terrible to read any case of racism in today's world, but unfortunatly it does still exsist in our society.

I am from Chilliwack. No I don't listen to country music or live on a farm. No I don't live on a diet of corn and beef. No I am not a right wing conservative or have similar ideals to what Americans value (quite the opposite, but that's another story). And I would not consider this a "hick town" by any means. Honestly I have no clue where you guys recieve the image of Chilliwack. I have always felt safe growing up in these last 19 years in the place I call home. Certainly the old downtown area is a bit sketchy, but wouldn't consider it any worse then what shady areas of other communities have. I would gladly raise a family in this area and not worry about the safety about the people I love most.

Chilliwack is a smaller city then others in the Fraser Valley, but I don't think it is a "close-nit" community that this insane person claims. With a population of roughly 100,000 people I can go to the store and not recognize a single person when I'm out, unlike most small towns. Not all people in Chilliwack are like this individual and unfortunatly more people with racist attitudes exist throughout the population of Canada. Don't let one case judge the rest of the people that live in that area. I can assure you that people living one hour down the highway from Vancouver and Surrey arn't that much different.

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Noheart Canucks Regular

Noheart

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All I know about India is the food is awesome.

They like gold and elephants.

You will never see one of them unemployed.

They can do it all, Doctors, cab drivers, liquor store owners, and Lawyers.

Those 4 people are all I need to survive.

Leave them alone.

They are awesome

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