U of Regina international students say they felt numb, angry after being targeted in racist incident
CBC
WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
Moshiur Samid says he usually likes to keep to himself and is a private, introverted person.
The international student says he never thought he'd be talking to a journalist about the racism he's experienced in Regina.
The 22-year-old, who moved to Canada from Bangladesh to study physics at the University of Regina in 2022, says he was shocked when four men in a car started aggressively yelling racist and threatening comments at him and two of his friends, and then threw coffee at him.
The incident happened as the three were walking home from a 7-Eleven on Victoria Avenue, not far from downtown, around 1 a.m. on Dec. 23. They tried to ignore the people in the car, who first asked if they had drugs and then offered to sell them some, said Samid.
"At first [we] denied — 'We don't want any drugs. We also are not selling drugs,'" he said.
Then, "they called us f--king Indians," saying "get the f--k out of our country. Which Tim Hortons do you work?'" he said.
One of the men said, "I'll shoot you," said Samid.
The four men drove back to him and his friends four times, he said, and the third time, the man in the passenger seat threw coffee at him.
"They start calling us names again. I say, 'Bro, I'm not even Indian.…' Then he threw a coffee cup at me. It was full of cold coffee, and he just threw it at my face. And I was like, what just happened?" he said.
"My friends were calming me, and I was still walking. I didn't stop … because I didn't know what to feel at that moment," said Samid. "I was kind of zoned out."
Canada has always been welcoming, he said, but he's seen a shift, both online and beyond, in the last few months.
Ignoring hate online is one thing, but after being attacked, threatened and verbally assaulted in person, Samid says he felt he had to speak up, because he doesn't want other newcomers to face what he and his friends did.
The incident left Shariar Sabith, one of Samid's friends, badly shaken.
Toronto club owners will now be able to open up their dance floors in almost any neighbourhood in the city as new bylaws for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues come into effect this month.
Conservative MP Luc Berthold announced on Sunday that he has prostate cancer but still plans to run in the next federal election, despite requiring an operation.
The Toronto Zoo ended 2024 by bidding farewell to two geriatric, long-term residents over the past week — the last in a series of animal deaths at the zoo last year.
Around 6,000 Newfoundland Power customers were left without power Sunday morning as high winds, rain and snow pounded the island.
St. Francis Xavier University researchers have built a first-of-its-kind simulation facility to test methane measurement technology for landfills.
New Brunswickers can look forward to more opportunities to enjoy nature this year.
Stephanie Nattaway talks to the photo she has of her daughter Tammy in the hallway of her home in Garden Hill First Nation, urging her to come home or give a clue about where she is.
The stockroom at Westgate Books is tidier than it's been in years.
P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer is raising concerns about the use of compressed air horns in ice arenas.
When Tammy Gaboury received a photo of a severely matted Shih Tzu, she wasn't sure what she was looking at.
For better and worse, a rebirth in our cultural fascination with true crime — spurred, in part, by the launch of the hit podcast Serial a decade ago — has led to changes in the criminal justice system, legal experts say.