Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto Condemns the Unjust and Unexplained Firing of Imam Omar Patel from Providing Services at University of Toronto Scarborough Campus

Muslim Link Editor's Note: An article has been published by CBC News interviewing Imam Omar Patel and giving some background on the allegations made against them, his denial of those allegations, and concerns about the way the University of Toronto has handled the situation. To read the article, click here.

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On behalf of Imam Omar, we would like to state that the claims brought against Imam Omar Patel are entirely without merit and complete hearsay.

We call on the University of Toronto to immediately reinstate Imam Omar Patel as a Chaplain on the Scarborough Campus and issue a public apology for the damage caused.

The University has failed to produce any credible evidence of any alleged social media posts by Imam Omar Patel. They have instead chosen to act on baseless and unverified claims brought forward by other campus organisations - effectively showing clear bias.

The facts:

• UofT cut ties with Imam Omar based on faked screenshots sent by another campus organization to UofT administration.
• Imam Omar has repeatedly denied posting this story to his personal social media account.
• The screenshot was sent to the University 6 weeks after the date of when it was allegedly originally posted.
• The original screenshot didn't include Imam Omar's handle, which Imam Omar pointed out to the University. 5 days later, another screenshot materialized with his handle on it.
• The University throughout its ‘investigation’ process spoke to Imam Omar only twice, and has refused to engage the Muslim Chaplaincy, the organization which employs him, at all.
• The University ‘investigation’ lacked any due process, legal council or transparency. This was evident in the final letter sent to Imam Omar by the University which included no evidence or reasoning for his termination.
• The university's decision to remove him was sudden and without any clear explanation, leaving many in shock and disappointment.

The Consequences:

• After repeated attempts by Muslim students to advocate on Imam Omar’s behalf, they’ve received no material response. The University has shown its Muslim students that it does not care about their wellbeing.
• The University has completely abandoned the need for accessible, Islamically-informed, mental health counseling -- during a time when Muslim students are traumatized and feeling unsafe on campus.
• The Muslim Chaplaincy offered the only accessible, free and timely mental health support for Muslim students; the University has left them with no alternatives.
• The lack of transparency and due process by the University and its arbitrary decision shows a complete disregard for the wellbeing of Muslim students on the Scarborough Campus.

We urge the University administration to reconsider their decision, taking into account his significant contributions towards building an inclusive community.

Please sign this petition to show your support for Imam Omar Patel's reinstatement at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

To sign the petition on Change.org, click here