Jason Kenney says 'people like' Naheed Nenshi politicize niqab, sparks #PeopleLikeNenshi
Nenshi called debate about niqab 'disgusting' and 'unbelievably dangerous stuff'
Some Twitter users are flocking to support Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in a war of words with Conservative candidate Jason Kenney.
Nenshi decried the Conservatives' position that women should be banned from wearing niqabs during citizenship ceremonies, calling the politics surrounding the debate "disgusting" and "unbelievably dangerous stuff" in a Sirius XM radio interview with Evan Solomon on Wednesday.
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Kenney shot back in an interview with Postmedia on Thursday, saying, "it seems to me that it's the mayor and people like him who are politicizing it."
The mayor responded on Twitter by questioning Kenney's turn of phrase.
"People like me", eh? Let's just assume <a href="https://twitter.com/jkenney">@jkenney</a> means "thoughtful people", shall we? <a href="https://t.co/rkN9xyPHHi">https://t.co/rkN9xyPHHi</a>
—@nenshiNenshi's tweet has received more than 1,000 retweets since Thursday.
Many pledged support for the Calgary mayor, using the hashtag #PeopleLikeNenshi, coined by the Edmonton Journal's Paula Simons. The tag quickly shot up the trending lists, with more than 3,500 appearances in the last 12 hours.
In fact, I think <a href="https://twitter.com/Marty_Chan">@Marty_Chan</a> needs to start a new hashtag - perhaps <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikeNenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikeNenshi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elxn42?src=hash">#elxn42</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyc?src=hash">#yyc</a>
—@PaulaticsMark my words: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikeNenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikeNenshi</a> will be Jason Kenney's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mathishard?src=hash">#mathishard</a> moment.
—@heckiosa<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikeNenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikeNenshi</a> make me proud to be Canadian
—@IanCordingleyI'm a proud progressive Albertan. And the fear mongering/racist rhetoric does not represent me. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/nenshi">@nenshi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikenenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikenenshi</a>.
—@Lana__MichelleI believe that forcing a woman out of a Niqab is just the same as forcing one into one, agree or not it is a choice. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikenenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikenenshi</a>
—@GlynnP75I wish we have more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeopleLikeNenshi?src=hash">#PeopleLikeNenshi</a> in politics everywhere in this country. Great leaders, thoughtful, funny, and committed to people.
—@EdwardBDoddSeveral NDP and Liberal politicians, including Justin Trudeau, also tweeted support.
Canada is lucky to have <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikeNenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikeNenshi</a> who stand up to the politics of fear & division. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/nenshi">@nenshi</a> for joining this conversation.
—@JustinTrudeauIt is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peoplelikeNenshi?src=hash">#peoplelikeNenshi</a> who remind me that there is still a lot of love, hope, and optimism in this world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vancentre?src=hash">#vancentre</a> <a href="http://t.co/OYaMjCcMeN">pic.twitter.com/OYaMjCcMeN</a>
—@ConstanceBarnesOthers defended Kenney and said his comments were being misread.
If you think Kenney was taking a race or religion based shot at Nenshi, you're completely oblivious to his Ministeral career. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a>
—@BRinYWGOnce again Nenshi acts morally superior and discounts anyone's opinion but his own. The purple clown show continues. <a href="http://t.co/HFmGdRQJfR">http://t.co/HFmGdRQJfR</a>
—@bcm010Once again at the centre of a Twitter trend, Nenshi took time to make some light-hearted comments.
<a href="https://twitter.com/nenshi">@nenshi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jkenney">@jkenney</a> Mayors?
—@Lazin_RyderThat must be what he meant. <a href="https://t.co/cVBvsCwMMi">https://t.co/cVBvsCwMMi</a>
—@nenshiHe even offered what could be seen as an olive branch to Kenney.
<a href="https://twitter.com/nenshi">@nenshi</a> handsome single men?
—@PatsyBingHe definitely didn't mean that, since he's be on that list too. <a href="https://twitter.com/jkenney">@jkenney</a> <a href="https://t.co/wY2fO4BRst">https://t.co/wY2fO4BRst</a>
—@nenshiOn Friday, Kenney denied that his comment had anything to do with Nenshi's religion or ethnicity.
"He's a friend of mine. He knows how close I am to all of the cultural, ethnic and religious communities in Canada, particularly his own Ismaili community," Kenney said during an interview on Solomon's radio program Everything is Political.
He said it was "completely ridiculous" to suggest that his comments were about religion or ethnicity. "I think I referred to politically correct liberals who were politicizing this issue."