Councillor shared great replacement conspiracy theory during debate on Regina mosque broadcast

As a heated debate went on in Regina this summer over a decision by a downtown mosque to broadcast a call to prayer over its loudspeakers, Regina City Councilor Dan Rashevich forwarded an email to his colleagues that contained what experts say are Islamophobic conspiracy theories. The email was obtained by CBC News through a Freedom of Information request. It was sent to Rashovich by someone, but who sent it, along with the message itself, are entirely redacted. We know We know what it says, though, because Counselor Victoria Flores I was rather troubled to see it here at the local level. Experts say the sender's message, that falsely claims immigrants are attempting to replace Canada's white population, is an example of the Great Replacement Conspiracy theory. This kind of language is often the antecedent to violence, right? It preys on people's fears of replacement. It assumes there's kind of a nefarious intention by people who are immigrants. It's also a theory popular among white supremacists, white nationalists, and neo-Nazis. It's the type of rhetoric used by those responsible for the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting and the 2021 London vehicle attacks, which is why experts say it's an issue that an elected politician shared an email with that messaging to his colleagues. They say it can help give a conspiracy theory more weight. I suspect to the average Joe who believes in these institutions and the kind of overt messaging of these institutions, they're there to ensure that everybody's treated equitably, fairly, etc. This may be a wake-up call. Rashovich said he doesn't believe in the conspiracy theory. Flores, meanwhile, pushed back on the email, saying councillors should not be indulging those who spread misinformation and hate. Alexander Kwan, CBC News, Regina.