Senate committee hearing on Islamophobia being held in Vancouver

In a bid to better understand how much of a problem it is, the Senate Human Rights Committee is holding public hearings on Islamophobia.

The head of B.C.’s Islamophobia hotline, Hasan Alam, who himself is a victim of attacks fueled by hate, is just one of the many people speaking at Wednesday’s public hearing in Downtown Vancouver.

He’s happy the federal government is giving the issue some attention but feels it’s long overdue.

“The number one trend people should be concerned about is that Islamophobia does exist in British Columbia. One of the trends I hope to highlight is the fact the Islamophobia hotline is only a bandage solution to a deeper problem. We provide a legal service to people who are already victims and I think the goal of this government and of society, in general, should be to prevent Islamophobic hate crimes or incidents from happening in the first instant,” he explained.

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Alam feels education for both Muslims and others is key to reducing the number of hate crimes. He wants Ottawa to invest money into tackling the problem head-on.

“Educating people on what Islamophobia is, what it looks like, what can be done in response to someone experiencing Islamophobia and what your rights are. I think there really is a lack of knowledge, awareness, and understanding around how Islamophobia actually shows up in society in what are sometimes considered benign ways like attitudes, micro-aggressions, and policies.”

He also highlights the language barrier often faced by victims who don’t always have the words to speak up or defend themselves. Alam tells CityNews this comes across when he deals with cases coming into the hotline.

“Islamophobia shows up in all spectrums of society. We have cases from people being denied positions at work or promotions based on the fact they’re Muslim. We have incidents where people are called Islamophobic names on the street, on the bus, in the mall, we have students experiencing Islamophobia at the hands of teachers and educators.”

Wednesday’s hearing includes a list of organizations, stakeholders, experts, and people who’ve been affected by Islamophobia to give their thoughts.

“There is no doubt Islamophobia exists in Canada and there has been a steady increase in Islamophobic attacks since the beginning of the pandemic. As leaders, we regularly condemn hate-motivated threats and abuse that occur both online and offline in our communities, but this alone is not enough to address the problem,” Chair of the Committee Senator Salma Ataullahjan said.

Hate crimes against Muslims across Canada increased by more than 70 per cent last year, according to Statistics Canada.

Members of the public who want to give their feedback can email the committee directly at RIDR@sen.parl.gc.ca.

In addition to the hearing in Vancouver, the Senate is holding a similar event in Alberta on Thursday.

Vancouver’s public hearing is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Wall Centre.

The hearing in Edmonton runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Downtown.