Alberta's funding to deter hate crimes 'should just be the beginning': Muslim group
Alberta's premier says groups that experience hate crimes will soon be able to apply for grants to pay for security upgrades but one Muslim organization says more is needed to address racism in the province.
Yasin Cetin, a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Canada in Alberta, says Jason Kenney's government needs to commit more resources to address hate instead of putting aside funding “that is a small drop in the bucket compared to what's needed.”
“Security grants are one piece of that puzzle and we welcome that,” said Cetin, a community outreach and engagement adviser for the association.
“But this should just be the beginning of the work to dismantle white supremacy, racism and Islamophobia. There needs to be more done to address the root cause of these feelings. It's more a matter of taking an anti-racist lens and inclusive lens to addressing different policy pieces.”
Kenney announced Friday that the $10,000 grants could save the lives of people who are targets of hatred because of who they are or how they worship. The money could cover everything from security cameras to protection planning, training and education. The province is spending $500,000 on the program.
It's one of the initiatives announced by Alberta following hate-related encounters in the province against Black-Muslim women and other racialized groups, and comes after the deaths of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont.
The province is also creating a community liaison to meet with groups facing hate-motivated crimes and plans to set up a hate crimes co-ordination unit to better focus and direct law enforcement.
Kenney called on Albertans to reach out to their Muslim neighbours, colleagues and friends to challenge hateful sentiments and white supremacy.
“The single most powerful weapon against hatred is simply relationships,” he said.
Cetin said it was frustrating to hear the premier comment about spreading love to tackle white supremacy. He said the effects of colonialism are driving hate crimes in Alberta.
He noted the grant money couldn't have helped the 10 reported verbal and/or physical attacks against Black-Muslim women in Alberta in the span of a few months.
“How is that going to support a young Black woman wearing the hijab (while) riding the LRT or leaving the bus station?” he asked. “There needs to be tangible pieces of legislation.”
Cetin also pointed to the government's draft public school curriculum that teachers have criticized as whitewashing colonial history. He said the curriculum is another example of how the government has not done enough to challenge racism.
“Yes, get to know our neighbours, but an education system should recognize the contributions and the history of Canadians of all stripes and backgrounds, including the Muslim community, including the Indigenous community,” he said.
“How many more times do these attacks need to happen? How many more victims do we need to have? How many more people need to die, need to be victimized before governments take action?
“We've had enough of the thoughts and prayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.