After my daughter was attacked, I will not be silent
Safety is a fundamental right, writes Rajan Sawhney
On the morning of June 25, my daughter sent me a text: “I just got attacked, calling the police, I'm OK.”
My first reaction was shock, then worry, then anger, just like any other parent. The details of the incident are well documented in the media and I won't repeat them. There are some key messages, however, that I would like to share.
The frequency of assaults that have been recently reported indicates that we need to provide Albertans with more tools to understand how to safely and confidently intervene in dangerous situations. Although we have recently provided funding to Calgary's Centre for Newcomers and the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton supporting their self-defence programs, there is more work required in the area of prevention.
While Alberta's government has recently made some important announcements, including the security infrastructure grant and the Hate Crimes Liaison, there is more work that is currently underway. There are a number of recommendations in the Anti Racism Report that are being reviewed by the Ministry of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women.
Coming back to my daughter, she is a strong, educated, second-generation Canadian with a certain level of sophistication on the complexity of the issues surrounding racism and discrimination. She also has tremendous support from her family and friends. This is reflected in her courage in speaking up about this incident; she knows she has an army of support behind her.
My worry is more for the other women who have been victims of assault and violent attacks in recent months. I have engaged directly with some of these women, and other members of various ethnocultural communities. These women are newcomers or children of newcomers. They came to this country to pursue the Canadian dream of a new life, new beginnings and to realize their potential. Some of these women come from war-torn countries and what Canada offered them is democracy, rule of law, safety, opportunities and most importantly, freedom.
Like many other Albertans, some of these families are trying to create an economic foundation; they are trying to make ends meet, educate their children and recover from the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic. When one is already struggling to keep afloat, an incident like an assault, based solely on the colour of one's skin or their gender and/or their expression of faith, in broad daylight, can have devastating impacts. Once the freedom to go out in public, to a park, to the mall, to a grocery store or to a busy downtown avenue is jeopardized due to safety concerns, what else is there left to take away?
The conversation about freedom is something that all Albertans and, indeed, all Canadians should be concerned about. Today it's “them,” tomorrow it could be “us” or even you. The inability to protect victims from these crimes diminishes us all because it has impacted one of the key social constructs of our society and this is our right to feel safe and included in our communities. We must enable the conditions to allow everyone to live their life with dignity and respect while reaffirming that the expectation of safety is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right for all.
So while my daughter navigates the coming weeks to put this ordeal behind her, I commend her courage in speaking up and giving her voice to the daughters, sisters and mothers who did not have a voice. And we, as elected officials, regardless of political backgrounds or order of government, have to accept responsibility and come together to provide further leadership around this matter. The time for reacting to situations is over, it's time to proactively and consistently reject hate and bigotry. Whether it is issues of race, gender, faith or sexual orientation, we need to speak loudly to chastise those who promote differences in our communities.
My promise is that I will no longer remain silent.
The inability to protect victims from these crimes diminishes us all.