B.C.’s Muslim community has safety concerns ahead of Eid celebrations

As tens of thousands of Muslims prepare to mark the end of Ramadan this week in B.C., there remain growing concerns about the safety of the community following Islamophobic attacks in other cities.

“I definitely think there’s a sense of heightened fear and uneasiness during this month of Ramadan,” said Hasan Alam, community liaison for B.C. Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline.

He admits he’s among those worried about not only his safety but of those around close to him.

“I have felt uneasy when I’ve gone to the mosque and I’ve questioned whether the members of my community are safe being there in our place of worship and whether we have enough security, for example, out front. It’s a feeling I’m experiencing and it’s horrible that we have to feel that way,” he said.

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Mosques and Islamic Centres are busy right now, especially during the five prayer times a day and for iftar, when Muslims break their fast every evening.

“I think it adds to the feeling of fear and uneasiness, given we are so visible right now in the public, in places of worship and it makes me feel as though we’re easier to be targeted while being there,” he explained. “I don’t think this is an irrational fear. I think it’s a fear grounded in a history where Muslims have been attacked in their place of worship in Canada.”

Alam is referring to the 2017 shooting at a mosque in Quebec City which left six men dead, and more than a dozen others injured. That’s in addition to a Muslim family that was run down by a vehicle in London, Ont. in 2021 and a recent attack in Markham, Ont.

He says despite feeling scared, it hasn’t stopped him from going to the mosque during Ramadan.

“It’s definitely made me think more about the safety of my parents being there. I think there are a lot more conversations happening in mosques around beefing up security and ensuring there are safety protocols in place. This all makes me feel kind of sad that we have to have this sort of conversation in Canada.”

Discussions around Islamophobia are predominantly happening within the Muslim community, he says, and feels there’s a lack of understanding and education among some non-Muslims. Alam thinks if that changes, things could potentially improve.

He also thinks any time Muslims are in the headlines, it is rarely in a positive light.

“I think we’re referred to as being dangerous or as victims of isolated incidents of hate crimes. We tend to fall into those two binaries, and I think there needs to be more of a normalization of our community. We are part in parcel of this society.”

Alam thinks organizations can step up to include Muslims in their regular social media posts of annual events.

“The only tweet that we see that come out from non-Muslim organizations or community institutions is, unfortunately, condemning hate crimes against Muslims — which is great — but you also need to acknowledge us as a community too and be like, ‘Hey, Ramadan Mubarak.’ Or ‘Did you know it is the holiest month for Muslims and a time for community?’ Normalize us into the discourse.

“I think companies and organizations feel a sense of uneasiness around integrating Muslim terminology or acknowledging Eid or Ramadan. I think… there’s a fear of the damage that could do to their brand. I think there’s a lot of unlearning that needs to happen.”

Alam describes the current situation in Canada as a “pandemic of hate,” adding it’s not just Muslims that feel targeted, but people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Police response

Given the large gatherings expected for Eid, police departments around the Lower Mainland are stepping in.

Surrey RCMP says it will have officers at various mosques around prayer times, conducting patrols and engaging with people attending services.

Masjid Al Salaam Mosque in Burnaby, B.C. (Courtesy: Twitter/@CanadainIndia)

“We currently have no information to suggest specific safety threats surrounding Eid, however, we are aware that some people in the community may feel uneasy in light of troubling incidents in other cities. We are monitoring through our Criminal Intelligence Unit and Emergency Operations and Planning Section, and staff from our Diversity, Community and Indigenous Relations Section are communicating regularly with mosques and Islamic centres throughout the city,” said Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison.

Burnaby RCMP tells us it has been doing extra patrols for the last two to three weeks and that will continue.

“We regularly patrol the mosque in Abbotsford on a weekly basis. Nothing will change as these patrols are already built into our normal operations. Should something arise on Friday we would respond accordingly,” said Abbotsford police Sgt. Paul Walker.

Surrey RCMP adds that officers know the planned prayer schedules at mosques in the city and also have extra safety measures in place.

“You can expect that you will see three RCMP officers conducting additional patrols as well as engaging with members that are people that are in attendance at the mosques or surrounding prayer times,” Corp. Vanessa Munn said.

National Council of Canadian Muslims reacts

Steven Zhou with the National Council of Canadian Muslims says this year there is a deep feeling that Muslims could be targeted.

He says right now the organization is seeing an uptick in Islamophobic incidents across the country with as many as seven a day.

“Including inside of classrooms, around mosques, in many, many places where anti-Muslim incidents have occurred. We are simply asking for more people to pay attention to this problem,” Zhou said.

He adds there is a cycle of fear that appears every Ramadan, adding mosques across the country are having ongoing discussions around safety.

“Where to put your shoes, for example, in case of a person coming in with an automatic weapon to do damage and to kill people. Where do you place the exits? How do you build a protocol for safety in case there is an attack?”

Last month, figures released by Statistics Canada showed hate crimes reported to police continue to go up across the country in the second year of the pandemic as people were targeted by race, religion, and sexual orientation. Its report said police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslim Canadians increased by 71 per cent.

This Eid and beyond, Alam says keeping the Muslim community safe is something everyone can help do.

“I think if you come from a non-Muslim background, I think you need to have these conversations in your own communities being like, ‘hey, this is a problem. Have you heard about this?’ Right? Like, what can we do to support this community? How can we stamp out Islamophobia?” Alam said.

Possible incidents of hate can be reported through the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline at 604-343-3828.

With files from Sarah Chew