色狐入口
The toque 鈥� a Canadian term for a knitted winter hat 鈥� is bright red like the cap made famous by Trump and has 鈥淲elcome to Canada鈥� embroidered in the same white lettering as the 鈥淢ake America Great Again!鈥� slogan.
But that鈥檚 about as far as their similarities go, Toronto鈥檚 Peace Collective clothing company says.
Co-founder Roman Hessary told 色狐入口 that his company sees the so-called MAGA hat as a symbol 鈥渙f hate, of discrimination.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 for a second think all Americans share these values, but it鈥檚 an issue, and an immigration issue,鈥� he told 色狐入口. 鈥淲e鈥檙e taking a stand against that and hoping to turn it into something more positive.鈥�
In an , Peace Collective said the toque sends a counter-message of 鈥渓ove and acceptance.鈥�
Hessary and his family came to Canada as refugees from Afghanistan and his partners in Peace Collective are also either first- or second-generation Canadians.
鈥淲e found safe refuge in Canada 鈥� my parents built a life for us here and gave us a lot of advantages that maybe other kids back in Afghanistan didn鈥檛 have, so I鈥檓 super appreciative,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why this campaign really hits home.鈥�
#UnravelHate
for the toque campaign promotes the hashtag #UnravelHate and shows a MAGA hat having its slogan unstitched thread by thread. The stitching is then recycled to spell 鈥淲elcome to Canada鈥� on a red toque.
听
A group of immigrants and refugees to Canada reflect in the video on the meaning of the MAGA hat and what living in Canada means to them.
鈥淢ake America Great Again,鈥� Ugandan immigrant Victor says, staring at the red hat in his hands. 鈥淲hat you鈥檙e telling me is in order for this to be great again, you have to kick out a bunch of people and build up walls to keep people out.鈥�
鈥淕reatness does not come from insulting other people,鈥� offers Aorwa, a Syrian refugee.
Cori, an American who left the U.S. with her same-sex partner, said she came to Canada to escape what she felt was 鈥渁n impending backlash鈥� against them.
鈥淭he MAGA hat is definitely a dividing line of us versus them鈥� it represents anger and fear and hatred.鈥�
Of the toque, she says it 鈥渞epresents acceptance and peace and hope.鈥�
Hessary said reactions to the campaign have so far been 鈥�99 per cent positive鈥� and he鈥檚 not worried by the possibility of backlash from Trump supporters.
He doesn鈥檛 want to alienate anyone, Hessary said, but he does hope the campaign sparks an open dialogue on issues like immigration.
鈥淚鈥檓 not saying Canada is perfect 鈥� I know there are improvements that can be made. As long as we鈥檙e having that conversation, good things can come out of it,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all global citizens and we should focus on our similarities.鈥�
The one-of-a-kind toque made from the MAGA hat threads is being auctioned . The profits from the auction and sale of all 鈥淲elcome to Canada鈥� toques will be donated to a community organization in Toronto that provides settlement services for new refugees and immigrants.
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