Faith leaders from across Calgary are set to gather outside a local Islamic school Thursday in a show of support after an alleged threat. Organizers say the school received an email containing explicit “threats to kill Muslims, including children,” and called for “violence against Muslim communities, and warned Muslims to leave Canada.” The letter attacks the community with a series of racial remarks and suggests change if Alberta separates from Canada. CTV News has chosen not to replicate the statements made in the letter for this story. The gathering is planned for noon outside MAC Islamic School in northeast Calgary. It is expected to be peaceful, with no formal program or speeches planned. Faith leaders and community members are expected to stand outside the school, with some planning to bring flowers as a gesture of support. “When hatred is directed toward one of our communities, we do not have to face it alone,” said the Rev. Samaya Oakley, Minister at Calgary Unitarians. “Our presence is a simple way of saying: We see you. We care about what has happened. We are here with you.” Oakley says the gathering is intended to show the Muslim community that other faith communities are standing with them. The event comes as religious communities across Canada continue to face hate-motivated incidents. According to Statistics Canada, there were 788 police-reported hate crime targeting Jewish people in 2025, accounting for 71 per cent of all religion-motivated hate crimes. There were 204 police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslims and 36 targeting Catholics. Mayor calls for action on antisemitism Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is also calling for stronger action to address antisemitism and hate in the city. In a video posted to X, Farkas says Calgary needs to move beyond statements condemning hate and put more resources behind preventing it. He called for dedicated funding to combat antisemitism, including more police resources to investigate hate crimes and respond to threats. He also wants to see the province and federal government take stronger action, including mandatory holocaust education in Alberta schools and stronger protections for communities facing hate. “Calgary will put money behind out words, we will strengthen policing, protect Jewish institutions, invest in prevention, push Alberta on education, push Canada’s major cities to act and demand action from Ottawa,” said Farkas. “In Calgary this evil will not be explained away; it will not be normalized, it will not be ignored,” he added.
