Muslim family living a 'nightmare' after false accusations of slaughterhouse on Ontario hobby farm

Muslim family living a 'nightmare' after false accusations of slaughterhouse on Ontario hobby farm

Police investigating online commentary, will maintain presence at planned protest

A Muslim family in Clarington, Ont., says it is living a "nightmare" after false allegations of an illegal slaughterhouse on its property transformed from online rumors into real-world harassment, threats and a planned protest.

Mohsin Bhuiyan, who has operated a small hobby farm in the community for the last year, says he and his family have been "terrorized" by those pushing misinformation about his property online, suggesting he is running an “illegal slaughterhouse” on site.

"We cannot sleep at night because they're taking pictures. We do not know who is coming and who is passing by,” he told CBC News.

The harassment began approximately one month ago after screenshots circulated on social media claiming the farm was slaughtering Canadian geese and operating an illegal business, Bhuiyan said.

That triggered a series of unannounced inspections from four different regulatory bodies, he said, including Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Clarington bylaw officers, building inspectors and Durham Region's public health unit. CBC News has seen letters from all four bodies, suggesting there was no indication of a slaughterhouse on the property.

“This letter confirms your premises is in compliance with OMFA regulations,” reads a letter from the ministry sent on June 15.

CBC News has requested further comment from the ministry.

The Municipality of Clarington told CBC News that following a thorough investigation, it found "no evidence” of illegal slaughterhouses in Clarington, including Bhuiyan’s property.

Still, Bhuiyan said his family has faced harassment including drones flying over his property, social media comments calling for his house to be burned and his address being publicized.

Bhuiyan and his wife were also confronted outside their home earlier this week, leaving their family “traumatized,” he said.

That interaction was filmed by John Mutton, the former mayor of Bowmanville. Mutton was the lobbyist dubbed “Mr. X” in a report into the removal of Greenbelt land and was subsequently banned from lobbying the province for a minimum of two years.

Mutton told CBC News he was acting on behalf of an "army of people" who he claims are concerned about alleged animal welfare violations.

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"People came to me to raise the issue," Mutton said. "I’m not in charge of [the protest]. I’m just a guy that’s going out there and talking at the residents' request."

Mutton denied that his actions — or the actions of “concerned” residents — constitute harassment.

Asked why he showed up to Bhuiyan’s property this week, Mutton said he was asked by a reporter from an online publication to join them on site to show the location of Bhuiyan’s operations.

Mutton disputes the findings of the municipal investigation that cleared the farm of wrongdoing, suggesting that he, as a former mayor, is an “expert” on bylaw issues.

For example, Mutton claimed the pond that exists on the property is an “illegal” expansion and that it also was in violation of building bylaws.

In its statement, the municipality did confirm building inspectors found building code matters “unrelated” to meat processing at the site, but didn’t indicate what those violations were.

The letter that Bhuiyan received from the municipality indicated the violation was related to two structures being built without building permits being issued. Bhuiyan was not fined nor issued a teardown order, but was instead asked to apply for the permits for the structure before an order-to-comply was issued.

Mutton has also posted online about complaints surrounding other properties in Clarington, Ontario, and across Canada calling for the investigation of what he claims to be “illegal slaughterhouses,” specifically those operating as halal.

"This has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with religion,” he told CBC News, insisting his motivation is strictly regulatory.

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But Omar Khamissa, chief mobilization officer for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, says the targeting of Bhuiyan’s farm and others is part of a "spike of Islamophobia" that has turned online spaces into a "safe haven" for conspiracy theories.

"It started as something that was online and now it’s transformed into real-life harassment, real-life campaigns, real-life threats," Khamissa said. He noted that the situation escalated when the misinformation was shared by influential figures, such as Mutton.

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The NCCM is also calling for advancements in online harm legislation to prevent digital campaigns from turning into real-world violence, pointing to the 2021 terror attack in London, Ont., the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, and, most recently, a mosque shooting in San Diego in May.

“There's got to be a line here,” Khamissa said. “We're not just talking about one family anymore. Now we're talking about what kind of country we have."

The federal government's "Combatting Hate Act," which reforms some of Canada's hate-crime laws to better protect against hate-related incidents, will go into effect later this month.

Police investigating, will have presence at protest

Durham Region police confirmed they are investigating the situation. In an email to CBC News, Const. Nick Gluckstein stated the service is aware of the "ongoing increase in social media posts and commentary" and has received formal complaints.

"DRPS continues to investigate and assess the circumstances to determine whether any offences under the Criminal Code have occurred," Gluckstein said.

Gluckstein also confirmed police will be present Friday at a protest planned at the farm "to help ensure public safety and maintain peace in the area."

Meanwhile, Bhuiyan said despite his family’s fears, they remain committed to staying in their home and continuing work on their farm.

"Canada is a peaceful country... regardless of your race, religion, or gender... we're all Canadians," he said. "Somebody has to step in and stop all of this nonsense".

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Christian D'Avino is a reporter for CBC News in Oshawa. He can be reached at: christian.davino@cbc.ca