Hundreds of attacks go unreported

By Letter to the Editor on June 19, 2021.

Editor:
For every anti-Muslim attack that gains national coverage, there are hundreds of lesser ones that go unreported. According to Stats Canada, there was a sharp increase (by 253 per cent) in anti-Muslim hate-crimes from 2012 to 2015. There was another jump in 2019. The experience of prejudice by Albertan Muslims is very real, whether it involves being taunted by schoolmates for being a “terrorist,” “sand-n#@#*!” or “rag-head,” or simply being treated differently for fitting a profile.
Fortunately, most Canadians have little tolerance for this, and it was on display in the program that was held in the parking lot of the Mosque on June 15, commemorating the victims of the London attack and raising awareness of xenophobia. I would like to express my gratitude to the Lethbridge police, the mayor, the representatives of the political parties and diverse religious groups and churches, well-wishers, and last but not least, our esteemed Indigenous leaders, all who came to express their solidarity against hate and bigotry.
Atif Khalil
Lethbridge

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