Talha Javaid, a youth hockey coach from Windsor, Ont., posted a screenshot on Friday showing a lengthy text message that said Javaid should resign because “it goes against tradition” for hockey teams to be coached by a Muslim.
“I don’t feel comfortable with you teaching him and the influence you will have on him,” the message read in part. “It’s hockey, right? It makes more sense if it’s not some Muslim guy teaching it.”
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The tweet was shared across Twitter between the hockey community over the weekend, amassing more than 9,000 retweets and 52,000 likes with responses rallying around Javaid, including Kane and former NHL goalie Grant Fuhr.
“And they try to convince us racism doesn’t exist anymore or in hockey,” Kane tweeted Monday, rehsaring Javaid’s tweet. “Keep coaching and doing your thing because sooner rather than later there will be a lot more people in all areas of hockey that look different then the ’traditional way.'”
Javaid, 23, told Yahoo Sports Canada he grew up playing ice and ball hockey after he was introduced to the sport through a program at his local mosque. He started the clinic in East Lansing, Mich., less than a month ago, coaching on the weekends in his free time between courses as an economics student at Windsor University.
Javaid said he hopes the attention his tweet has received will help send a message and help put an end to racism in a sport often criticized for its shortcomings in inclusiveness.
“I don’t care if it’s at my expense. I don’t mind taking the hit,” he told Yahoo Sports Canada. “I want to help break barriers in hockey. And I’ll know that I helped make it happen.”
