BC Conservative South Surrey candidate Brent Chapman has apologized for comments he made nearly a decade ago about Muslims.While his actions were condemned by leader John Rustad, he was not dropped from the roster and will still be running to represent his riding.."The language I used and the sentiments I expressed at the time towards Palestinians and members of the Islamic faith were completely unacceptable," Chapman, who has a background in acting and commercials, wrote in a statement to Global News. "They do not reflect who I am today or the respect and admiration I have for the Palestinian or Muslim communities."He offered his "sincerest apologies" to everyone who had been impacted by what he said."Since making those comments a decade ago," Chapman continued, "I have had the privilege of traveling to Muslim-majority countries and building meaningful relationships with members of the Muslim community in Canada. These experiences have broadened by understanding of Islam and deepened my appreciation for the incredible contributions Muslims make in our communities, both locally in Surrey and across Canada."He went on to note that in addition to issuing a public apology, he had personally said sorry to two of his fellow candidates who are Muslim..Chapman's comments were brought to light by Jas Johal, who posted them to X. In one post from 2015, he suggested it was "forbidden to marry outside of your family in Palestine," referring to residents as "little inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs ... figuratively and literally."In another post, he recalled a conversation with a nurse who worked in Saudi Arabia who said "absolutely not" when asked if the west could coexist with Islam.."It's something that we do not support," Rustad said of Chapman's comments when asked at a press conference in North Vancouver. "I have also accepted Brent's apology, but I will say this: as the Conservative Party of British Columbia, we will not stand for anti-Palestinian Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Asian hate. We will not stand for hate in this province.".Rustad's chief of staff Azim Jiwani, who is himself Muslim, also vouched for Chapman's character, describing him as "a decent guy who made some silly comments he regrets."
BC Conservative South Surrey candidate Brent Chapman has apologized for comments he made nearly a decade ago about Muslims.While his actions were condemned by leader John Rustad, he was not dropped from the roster and will still be running to represent his riding.."The language I used and the sentiments I expressed at the time towards Palestinians and members of the Islamic faith were completely unacceptable," Chapman, who has a background in acting and commercials, wrote in a statement to Global News. "They do not reflect who I am today or the respect and admiration I have for the Palestinian or Muslim communities."He offered his "sincerest apologies" to everyone who had been impacted by what he said."Since making those comments a decade ago," Chapman continued, "I have had the privilege of traveling to Muslim-majority countries and building meaningful relationships with members of the Muslim community in Canada. These experiences have broadened by understanding of Islam and deepened my appreciation for the incredible contributions Muslims make in our communities, both locally in Surrey and across Canada."He went on to note that in addition to issuing a public apology, he had personally said sorry to two of his fellow candidates who are Muslim..Chapman's comments were brought to light by Jas Johal, who posted them to X. In one post from 2015, he suggested it was "forbidden to marry outside of your family in Palestine," referring to residents as "little inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs ... figuratively and literally."In another post, he recalled a conversation with a nurse who worked in Saudi Arabia who said "absolutely not" when asked if the west could coexist with Islam.."It's something that we do not support," Rustad said of Chapman's comments when asked at a press conference in North Vancouver. "I have also accepted Brent's apology, but I will say this: as the Conservative Party of British Columbia, we will not stand for anti-Palestinian Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Asian hate. We will not stand for hate in this province.".Rustad's chief of staff Azim Jiwani, who is himself Muslim, also vouched for Chapman's character, describing him as "a decent guy who made some silly comments he regrets."
