Safety groups show unity in wake of violent attacks
Groups working to make Edmonton a safer place came together Friday at City Hall to show unity in the wake of recent attacks on a police officer and pedestrians.
Fatmeh Kalouti, chairwoman of the Safety Summit Committee, said the group has brought together more than 100 businesses, community organizations and religious groups in a collaborative approach to determine the top safety priorities for Edmonton’s downtown and inner-city communities.
While the work started before the attacks, coming together after the violence was important, she said.
“Having that opportunity to check in with the community, having that opportunity for community members to come together, feel that unity, feel their voice is heard, we felt that resonates,” Kalouti said.
To date, the group has hosted two summits to identify safety concerns and take action.
“A major thing for me is getting together to establish unity, to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences,” said Owais Hikmat, director of outreach for religious affairs and youth programs for the Al Rashid Mosque and the Edmonton Islamic Academy.
He wants to give youth a chance to express themselves.
“It’s never easy on youth to see violence in their hometown — it’s never easy on anyone, actually — but I feel youth are resilient, they’re energetic, they learn quick and they thrive in these situations,” Hikmat said.
Phillip Telfer, representing Norwood Wesleyan Church, said that when Const. Mike Chernyk was run down by a car and stabbed outside the home of one of the pastors, it affected church members personally.
“With violence, fear is the natural response, and we start to focus on differences instead of making differences beautiful like a rainbow,” Telfer said.
After attacking Chernyk on Sept. 30, then fleeing, the same suspect drove a rental truck into pedestrians along Jasper Avenue, injuring four people, in the early hours of Oct. 1.
Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, 30, faces 11 charges, including five counts of attempted murder.