Hate crime incidents in Canada have some fearing an Islamophobic trend

A rising number of hate crime incidents in Canada are drawing concern from some corners.

Islamophobic messages have appeared at a train station in Ottawa, women wearing niqabs have been harassed in Toronto, a Hindu temple in Kitchener was vandalized earlier this week, and before that, a Peterborough mosque was set ablaze.

The incidents, which come in the wake of terrorist attacks around the world, have some fearing they point towards a growing trend of xenophobia in Canada.

Jasmine Zine, a professor of sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University, says the niqab debate during the election campaign set the state for what’s happening in Canada now.

“When you have the prime minister of a country and politicians leading the charge of Islamophobia, rather than encouraging a peaceful situation and [discouraging] racism and hatred, this is very problematic,” says Zine.

Zine adds that not only does fear serve the interests of governments who want to push through tougher security measures, it also directly benefits extremist groups like ISIS.

“They are reliant upon disenfranchised Muslim youth who see themselves not being welcomed within the nation states that they are living within, [who] see themselves as being targeted and vilified, and that creates a riper breeding ground for radicalization,” she says.

Despite the troubling trend she sees, Zine also points to the other side of the spectrum of people’s reactions.

“I do think it’s important to also focus on the sides of solidarity and community that have emerged,” she says.

“When we look at the Peterborough mosque that was firebombed, I think within a day or two, there was about $100,000 raised to repair that mosque, and that came from the surrounding community.”