In July 2018, fifteen people were shot on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue. A makeshift memorial formed in Greektown for the two girls killed: Julianna Kozis, 10, and Reese Fallon, 18. For a week, people gathered in the Alexander the Great parkette. Around the fountain they left flowers, candles, and teddy bears.

On the final day of the memorial, Eric Brazau stood with a sign “Little Mosque on the Prairie  – Two Dead Girls in Greek Town – The crowd grew hostile. Someone pushed him into the fountain. The crowd applauded. The incident was filmed and circulated widely across social and mainstream media.

The vast majority of comments agreed that this man deserved to be assaulted. Prior to the memorial incident, Brazau was already a known public figure in debates surrounding Islam. He had been convicted under Canadian hate-speech law for distributing flyers critical of Islam and Muslims. The media covering the memorial confrontation knew exactly who he was and why he was there.

He was not entering the event as an anonymous protester. He was entering with a public record and a reputation that preceded him.

Which is why what happened next mattered.

The day after the initial media storm, the only national organization to publicly defend his right to speak — and his right not to be assaulted for speaking — was the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

Not a civil liberties organization.
Not a Christian or Jewish advocacy group.
An Islamic organization.

NCCM stated:

“Violence is not the answer to abhorrent statements. We do not agree with that man’s statement, but as a human rights organization we defend his and all Canadians’ rights as guaranteed under the Canadian Charter.”

The paradox was unavoidable.

A man who was unabashedly vocal to all things Islam was being defended by a Muslim organisation.

This tweet forced Brazau to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about Islam. It also forced him to consider the possibility that he had misunderstood the terrain entirely.

His stance carried social consequences. Longstanding friendships fractured. Doors closed. In many circles he became persona non grata.

The cost did not end the inquiry. It made retreat impossible.