Education key to dispelling racism

The Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC) is alarmed by the recent spate of unprovoked attacks against four black Edmontonians over the past two weeks. It has been reported that these assaults were preceded by the assailants screaming racial slurs at their victims.

During Islamic History Month last October, the ECMC and the University of Alberta co-sponsored an online event featuring University of Delaware professor Muqtedar Khan, who delivered a lecture on racism. Not surprisingly, Dr. Khan suggested that racist attitudes and prejudice are learned and perpetuated in the home and that as a society we need to be cognizant about how we talk about and characterize others.

Education is critical to dispelling harmful stereotypes that lead to racist ideology. Although interracial harmony may be an idealistic concept, racism can be minimized through interaction with others at the community level. The detrimental effects of the current global pandemic should not be an excuse for the escalation of violence against immigrants of colour. Ultimately, most of us are immigrants to this great land that was initially inhabited by the First Nations, and people regardless of their origin essentially desire the same thing: peaceful coexistence with others.

The ECMC extends its season's greetings for peace, prosperity, and health to all Edmontonians.

Yasmeen Quraishi-nizam, education chair, Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities