As I speak with members of my community, particularly over the next number of days as we honour our veterans.... For me, as a member of the Sikh community, whose members have fought for freedom in northern India and in India to be able to practice their religion and have freedom of speech.... Many of them fought for the Commonwealth in World War I and World War II to have that ability and to proudly come to this nation and be Canadian citizens. They have had the opportunity to fight for this nation and also to serve, whether it's as members Parliament, as members of the police services across the country or as members of our armed forces, and proudly do so while wearing their turbans.
It's important to also acknowledge, when I think about the important conversation we had last night and reflect with many community members, that many of the concerns that are arising today with misinformation and disinformation.... That's why the Russian misinformation and disinformation study that's occurring in this committee, along with the study on electoral interference and criminal activity in Canada by the agents of the government of India.... An important part of what we have not studied yet and have not gotten into is exactly that. Who is pushing this information into the Canadian public to incite violence? Is it coming from domestic sources or is it coming from international sources?
I've been watching the news over the last number of days and I've been on social media. It's concerning for me when I see members of the Sikh community or the Hindu community having concerns about going to their place of worship. That is something we need to think about on this committee. It's about how they are getting information or how other members of the community are being sent to target community members and prevent them from being able to go to their place of worship.
I remember, as a child in Calgary, when the Sikh Society of Calgary, the first gurdwara, was built in 1978. I was three years old. Over the years afterward, that Sikh temple was targeted regularly.
Who was it targeted by at that time? There was targeting by members of our society who felt that people who looked a little different, like my parents and many of my relatives, were not welcome, unfortunately. The Sikh temple in southwest Calgary was targeted a number of times.
When I was a child, my dad would go there and sleep overnight with many others to protect our place of worship. In northeast Calgary, when the Dashmesh Culture Centre in my constituency was being built, it was also targeted on numerous occasions. What the Sikh communities tried to do over the years was help Canadians who live in our city understand who we are as Sikh Canadians and build interfaith bridges with other communities.
I have fond memories of collaboration that we've had with the Jewish community. I have fond memories of the collaboration that the Sikh community had with the Hindu community in Calgary. I get to represent, I would say, the most diverse riding in the country in Calgary Skyview. I'd like to challenge anybody who thinks otherwise.
The important collaboration, when we saw what happened—