BC Conservative Candidate Apologizes for Offensive Remarks About Palestinians
A recent controversy has emerged in British Columbia's political landscape involving Brent Chapman, the Conservative candidate for Surrey South. His decade-old social media posts resurfaced, in which he made highly offensive comments about Palestinians. Chapman referred to Palestinians as “little inbred walking talking breathing time bombs,” a statement that sparked outrage within Canada's Muslim and Palestinian communities.
Late Wednesday night, Chapman issued a public apology, acknowledging the inappropriateness of his past remarks. He expressed deep regret for his words, stating, “The language I used and the sentiments I expressed at that time towards Palestinians and members of the Islamic faith were completely unacceptable. They do not reflect who I am today or the respect and admiration I hold for the Palestinian and Muslim communities.” He emphasized his sincere apologies to anyone hurt by his comments.
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Despite this apology, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad faced pressure to take stronger action. Rustad, however, defended Chapman’s right to stay in the race, although he did ask for the apology. Rustad stated that the remarks do not represent the values of the party and explained that members of his team, including his chief of staff, are from the Muslim community. He underlined that while the comments were offensive, he believes in focusing on Chapman's current actions rather than words from 10 years ago.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims acknowledged Chapman’s apology and noted the steps he claims to have taken to educate himself on the harm caused by his words. However, the organization emphasized that real commitment to change would be judged by his future actions, calling on both Chapman and the BC Conservatives to challenge Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism more actively.
Criticism also came from NDP Leader David Eby, who described Chapman’s comments as "criminal hate speech" and expressed disappointment that Rustad did not remove Chapman from the party’s candidacy. Eby argued that such hateful rhetoric emboldens others and demanded a stronger stance from the Conservative leadership.
This controversy has drawn significant attention ahead of the upcoming provincial election on October 19, and it remains to be seen how it will impact the BC Conservatives’ campaign.
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