Islamophobic crimes bring fear and calls for change

Women wonder if it’s safe to wear a hijab in public

In the wake of an attack against two Muslim women in an Ancaster parking lot last Monday, Imam Sayed Tora said he received calls from other Muslim women in Hamilton asking if they should stop wearing a hijab for fear it could make them a target, too.

The hate crime has shaken the Muslim community. But Tora acknowledged the extra level of fear for hijab-wearing women because the head covering makes them identifiable as Muslim.

“I received numerous phone calls and messages, sisters wondering if they would be safe if they go out for shopping, if they go out for a walk, if they take their children to the park,” Tora said during his Friday Khutbah, posted on the Muslim Association of Hamilton Facebook page.

“They were asking me whether or not it is safe for them to continue wearing their hijabs and believe it or not I had no answer for them,” he said. “I told one of the sisters that you should do whatever makes you feel safe.”

The victims of the Hamilton attack are the wife and adult daughter of Hamilton Downtown Mosque Imam Kamal Gurgi, who says his family has been traumatized by what happened. The women, who The Spectator is not naming because they fear for their safety, both wear hijabs.

Gurgi said his wife called him from the parking lot close to the Shoppers Drug Mart on Golf Links Road July12 to say someone tried to kill them.

The incident began when a car pulling out of a parking spot nearly hit them and the man started yelling.

“You’re not Jews. You’re not Christians. You are Muslims,” the man allegedly told them, according to Gurgi. “You don’t belong here.”

The women ignored him, but soon noticed he was following them. They ran, splitting in different directions with Gurgi’s 26-yearold daughter hiding in some bushes. The man found his wife and allegedly said “I’m going to kill you.”

Gurgi said she was screaming for help. A witness told his wife to get out of the car and call police, while he followed the man home and recorded his licence plate.

The following day Vince Licata, 40, of Cambridge was charged with three counts of uttering threat to cause death, two counts of assault with a weapon, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to comply with probation.

The incident has been condemned widely, from local politicians to the prime minister. But the problem of Islamophobia is bigger than one incident or one court case. Gurgi and other Muslim leaders and organizations are asking for action to prevent similar attacks.

“The question that we need to address and answer is what is next?” Tora said. “How do we respond to such abhorrent, tragic and hateful incidents.”

The answer is not to give in to fear, but rather to stand together, he said.

He called for the Muslim community to be united. He called on community members to educate themselves about their faith and their rights, and to engage in dialogue with their neighbours to get rid of stereotypes and misunderstandings about Muslim people.

From 2015 to 2019, the National Council of Canadian Muslims tracked more than 300 Islamophobic incidents.

Last month, a family of five were allegedly deliberately run down in London, Ont. Just two days after the attack in Ancaster, a mosque in Cambridge was vandalized.

Community leaders and organizations, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, say there is a need for real policy changes to fight the root causes of racism and Islamophobia.

In response Canada is hosting a National Action Summit Against Islamophobia July 22.

In addition to the criminal investigation, Hamilton police say they are also working with the community to address concerns. On Friday, the police hate crime unit and the crime prevention unit met with community members at the Hamilton Downtown Mosque to answer questions.

“The community is concerned about the increase in hate motivated incidents and crimes,” said Sgt. Rebecca Moran. “They are concerned about community safety as well as their own personal safety.”

The Muslim community has shown “incredible strength,” she added.

Police have also offered to do safety audits at local mosques and information sessions on personal safety tips.

Community relations co-ordinator Jas Dhillon has also been in contact with the community to offer assistance.

Hamilton has routinely ranked among the top Canadian cities for reported hate crimes. The Black, Jewish and LGBTQ-plus communities are among the most targeted.

However, there are many incidents never reported to police.

That’s why police are working to establish a hate crime case review team. The goal is to partner with community organizations to review hate crime cases and make recommendations.

Community groups have expressed optimism over the review team, however, there continue to be calls to do more work to prevent hate crimes.