‘An act of love’: Province announces new program to deter hate crimes

EDMONTON — After the murder of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario shook the country, the Alberta government is taking steps to try and prevent hate crimes in the community.

Speaking outside a mosque in Edmonton on Friday, Premier Jason Kenney and Justice Minister Kaycee Madu announced a new grant program that will offer financial support for religious and ethnic organizations, and Indigenous groups to help them improve security.

A total of $500,000 is being made available, with applicants eligible for up to $90,000 each for new security infrastructure, and an additional $10,000 for education and training. The program will formally open up in the fall, with more details being made public in the coming months.

“We are a province that welcomes everyone, and this is a province of dreams where you can come and achieve your dreams and live a full life,” said Madu. “The goal of this program — and they have been carefully developed to work together — is to, first, ensure we protect religious (and) cultural facilities across our province. Second, I am going to appoint a community liaison that is going to work with communities like these and other cultural communities across the province. And also, work with intelligence and the law enforcement community to make sure that we are keeping an eye on what is going on in our various communities, with a focus on those communities where we see increasing incidents of hate crimes.”

Madu added that they are also increasing support for hate crime investigators to ensure crimes are thoroughly examined and justice is served.

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The increased security measures could help serve a couple of purposes, including deterring the crimes before they occur and also catching perpetrators after the fact.

Aumer Assaf with the Canadian Islamic Centre said the horrific incident in London should serve as a wake-up call, and he is confident this initiative will help.

“We as a Muslim community, we hear the whispers of hate. But we are a community that listens to love. Canada is a place of love, and what you are doing today is an act of love,” Assaf said. “We heard the words, we’ve had the sentiments, we’ve had the hugs, but now there’s action.”

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Assaf said there is a dream that Canada is a place free of hatred and the crimes like what happened in London are a rarity, but he said this is not the truth for everyone.

“We live in reality, and the reality is the Muslim community is under attack. And it’s not just the violence, it’s the sneers. It’s the looks,” he said.

Assaf added that Canada certainly has a lot of blemishes on its record, but he feels confident there is movement in the right direction to repair the wrongs and make the country a better place.

Premier Jason Kenney said it can be very hard to fully bring an end to racism in Canada, noting that a lot of hateful views are fostered behind closed doors and particularly on the internet. But he thinks people should consider having more conversations with their neighbours, and learning about other cultures.

“The single most powerful weapon against hatred is simply relationships,” he said. “We can have all sorts of programs, we can put posters in the schools and can run ads condemning hatred, but I don’t think those things are very effective at changing a person’s heart.”

Premier Kenney calls the London attack a national shame and a reminder that not all Canadians have the freedom to feel safe. #yeG #yyc #ableg #London pic.twitter.com/cno7V1acnM

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) June 11, 2021

Madu said hate crimes can place a great burden on the affected communities, but this program will empower them and therefore make them even safer.

After all of the pain caused by the crime in London, along with other hate crimes in Alberta that have included women being attacked for wearing a hijab, Assaf believes there is a light at the end of it all and calls on people to mimic more acts of love and foster positive growth.

“Canada was cracked in London, Ontario. It was cracked, but we will repair it because we are people of good. I have so much faith in my fellow Albertans,” he said. “I ask my fellow Canadians that we just be kind to one another.”