A Canadian soldier has apologized to a 9-year-old girl named Isis after he apparently was reluctant to write her name on a participation certificate during a school field trip, making her go home in tears.
“It makes me real sad because it’s my real name and I’m proud to say that,” Isis Fernandes, named after the Egyptian goddess, told CTV Winnipeg.
Isis says she’s been bullied before for her name, which she unfortunately shares with the radical Islamist group in Syria and Iraq, but it was particularly hurtful coming from a soldier in uniform.
The incident occurred during a school trip to a Grey Cup-themed obstacle course at the University of Winnipeg. At the end of the day, a soldier was there to sign congratulatory certificates for each of the kids.
But, according to Isis, the soldier initially refused to sign her paper.
“He said, ‘I’m not writing your name down. I don’t think this is your real name. That’s not your real name. This is not funny.’ He got all mad and stuff.”
When she arrived home, Isis burst into tears.
“I can’t believe grown men are picking on a 9-year-old child,” said Isis’s mother, Amanda Fernandes. “This has got to stop.”
The soldier has since apologized in person to the young girl, saying that he didn’t intend to hurt her feelings. The soldier has been removed from signing future certificates, a military spokesperson told CTV Winnipeg.
“Coming from a military family, my grandfather was in the Armed Forces, it showed respect and I appreciated it,” Amanda Fernandes said.
For young Isis, the incident has become a life lesson in kindness and tolerance.
“I just want to make sure nobody treats other kids like I got treated. If you’re a bully, stop bullying,” she said.
With files from CTV Winnipeg
