Muslim Head of BC Civil Liberties association resigns after celebrating church burnings on Twitter

BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) accepted the resignation of its executive director, Harsha Walia, following a controversial tweet advocating for the burning down of Catholic churches.

“Burn it all down,” she tweeted on June 30.

This comes after dozens of churches across the country were destroyed by suspected arsons following the uncovering of over a thousand unmarked graves at several sites of former residential schools.

The Board and Staff at the BCCLA thanked her for her “bold, skillful, and compassionate leadership” in a press statement Friday. They added that in light of the “extremely challenging times of the pandemic,” Harsha built and “deepened important relationships” with BCCLA’s partners and community stakeholders.

According to Global News, the tweet divided people on Twitter, with some calling her message inflammatory and hateful, while others were quick to defend the tweet, citing the “grief and rage” of Indigenous Canadians.

Since June 30, she has locked her Twitter account and was not available for an interview request with Global News.

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