Is it safe in a place of worship?

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The horrors that are happening in Jerusalem and Gaza have disrupted Ramadan prayers. The day after Eid al-Fitr, the last break in the fast has a bitter taste for Muslims. Nearly 8,000 km away, in Quebec, these atrocities are rekindling injuries.

The situation is not comparable, but places of worship are often under threat. And practicing your faith continues to be a source of fear. On Monday, April 5, 2021, a hooded young man appeared in front of the Assahaba Mosque, a small establishment nestled in the heart of Little Maghreb, in the Rosemont district. Armed with a compressed air gun, he fired 11 shots at walls and windows. Inside, a professor teaches Arabic to 11 students. There were no injuries, but the marks of the attack are visible on the facade.

The scene was filmed by security cameras. “Among those who attend the mosque, many are traumatized,” says Yusuf Faqiri. The day after the attack, he came to pray. This is how he learned about the events. “Normally, a place of worship is a place where people go to gather, reunite; it is a place of peace. It must therefore be a safe place for all”, thundered Samira Laouni on the sidewalk in front of the mosque, during a vigil organized a few days after the attack.

A discreet security guard that attracted only a few elected representatives from the opposition. Last October, five mosques were the target of attacks in the space of a few days.

These are not the only establishments to have been vandalized. In January, swastikas were drawn on the walls of the Shaar Hashomayim Congregation Synagogue in Westmount. Today, for the communities that frequent them, these shelters are under threat.

And these attacks are far from being isolated acts. “Let's remember the Quebec attack. There were other attacks before January 29, 2017,” recalls Mr. Faqiri. Uniting to ensure their safety, Quebec's cultural and religious communities are calling for an end to hate crimes committed against places of worship.

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Protect yourself

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Four years after the murderous attack, everything is closed and monitored at the Quebec mosque. There are numerous cameras, and only those who have a unique individual chip can enter the establishment. Thanks to fundraising and community mobilization, the mosque and its surroundings are protected. Those who monitor the center do so on a voluntary basis.

“They do it knowing that it is the house of God and that it is a place of tranquility”, says Mr. Benabdallah. These measures reassure the community that visits the mosque. “They can pray in peace. It allows people to breathe. And the more serene we are, the more we progress,” he continues.

“We don't want to live in entrenched forts forever”, however, recognizes Boufeldja Benabdallah. A place of worship is supposed to be “open, warm, and welcoming.”

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Solidarity

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It's not just mosques that are affected by hateful acts. Increasingly, religious communities are uniting in the face of these attacks. This was the case in September 2020 in Toronto. A man was killed outside a mosque in the Rexdale neighborhood. Twenty-five civil society groups then wrote and sent a Letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

They are asking him for an action plan to deal with the increase in the number of white supremacists and neo-Nazis who assault members of minority communities in Canada. Among the signatories are the World Sikh Organization and the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs. The attack on April 5 against the Rosemont mosque aroused the same solidarity. Rabbi Michael Whitman was present at the vigil, which took place a few days later, to support his countrymen.

Mr. Whitman feels particularly close to the challenges of the Muslim community. “Both communities are vulnerable, and the same type of behavior is allowed,” he regrets. For him, the April 5 attack is not to be taken lightly. Hateful acts committed against places of worship affect the feeling of safety, but also reinvigorate the sense of rejection in communities. At his Hampstead synagogue, Mr. Whitman also mobilized his community to prevent attacks.

He believes he has succeeded in finding the balance between safety and hospitality, between protected space and open space. At the entrance, all the bags are searched. “Even mine, to see if anyone has a gun,” he says. Everyone is welcomed warmly, and the faithful thus feel safe to practice their faith.

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Towards social harmony

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Rabbi Whitman, like Boufeldja Benabdallah, calls for concrete solutions to solve this issue. “I think we need to manage the root of the problem. Intercultural encounters should be encouraged, because some people do not necessarily feel concerned or close to our reality,” he explains. It strives to raise awareness among the population, in particular by organizing training courses and events for young and old.

An idea supported by the activist Samaa Elibyari, who was also present at the vigil. The solution requires an inclusive political discourse, and the promotion of sharing, according to her. “We want a society where everyone belongs and lives in peace,” she continues in a soft but firm voice. Prejudices play a major role in the perception of religious communities.

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A law in need of review?

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It is estimated that between 10% and 30% of hate acts are reported to the police. Among those who are, few are tried or convicted, but it is impossible to know the exact figures, as the SPVM assures that it does not have such data. This situation does not encourage communities to report. “It is extremely complicated for victims to file a complaint”, regrets Denise Helly, a professor studying hate crimes at the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS).

“The law makes it difficult for complaints to become investigations. So the victims don't complain, so the problem is underestimated. We are going in circles”, denounces Ms. Helly. She sees this as a situation similar to that of victims of sexual assault who struggle to get justice under the current system. While there are no figures on the number of attacks on places of worship, Ms. Helly notes an increase in attacks on places of worship.

A phenomenon that is far from being limited to Quebec: “It's been happening in France for a long time, for example. It's easier to attack a place of worship than it is to attack a person.”

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What is the role of the police?

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As with sexual assaults, we must restore the trust of religious communities in the police. “We are working to get closer to communities, especially through community posts, which are the ones that collect the most reports,” explains Marie-Claude Dandenault, head of the Urban Prevention and Security Division of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). She is the head of the Hate Crime and Hate Incidents module at the SPVM.

A useful unit, according to Ms. Helly, who believes that it takes empathy and special training to receive complaints about hate crimes committed against places of worship. “Now you have to stop believing that the police can solve everything,” says Ms. Helly. She says the police can't really reduce the number of hate crimes and can't facilitate access to justice. What can we do to achieve this?

“Another solution is through public discourse. An interreligious coalition would make things easier for communities,” she said.

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A prevention plan

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On April 19, the City of Montreal adopted a motion to strengthen the SPVM's module against hate acts. Among the measures voted on, mention the one relating to greater transparency on statistics and possible remedies for victims of hate incidents and crimes. Measures already applied by police services in Vancouver and Toronto.

However, according to the Muslim community in the Queen City, the existence of the Toronto Police Service's Hate Crimes Unit did not improve the safety of places of worship and worshipers.

“There are repeated attacks on mosques. The police are helping to find the attackers, but there is no plan to prevent this from happening,” reports Fatema Abdalla, communications manager at the National Council of Canadian Muslims (CNMC). She wants the attacks to stop and for everyone to be safe. For her, the problem lies with white supremacist and far-right organizations.

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Prevent abusers from assaulting (rather than helping victims protect themselves)

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Louis Audet Gosselin works to prevent radicalization. At the Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRMV), we want to prevent these hateful acts and raise awareness among police forces, but also the population.

“In order not to leave the burden of denunciation to communities alone, we organize partnerships with Jewish and Muslim communities in Quebec for joint actions,” explains Mr. Audet Gosselin. A way to create dialogue, as recommended by Denise Helly. But it must go further, according to Mr. Audet Gosselin: “We need to build relationships. Communities need to feel that the institutions are behind them.”

And on the side of the aggressors? “The aim is to have access to these people as soon as possible, before they act. We offer community support for radicalized individuals,” he explains. The center also offers to help the relatives of a person who is radicalized.

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What is the government's response?

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Asked about the government's response to stop hateful acts against places of worship, the minister responsible for combating racism Benoit Charette expressed concern, but remained vague. He mentioned funding for the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism, a project conducted with Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of Public Safety, and intercultural meetings managed by the Ministry of Immigration. On the side of the Department of Public Safety Canada, the answer is shorter.

Spokesperson Magali Deussing only mentions the existence of a financial aid offered, among others, to places of worship to install cameras, an alarm system or fences. However, this fund is not known to everyone, and not everyone knows how to use it, explains Fo Niemi, of the Center for Research and Action on Race Relations (CRARR). For Fatema Abdalla, of the CNMC in Toronto, the action must be stronger. She is waiting for governments to condemn white supremacist groups, which are mostly responsible.

“They are still active, they need to be dismantled, because they are also attacking other communities.”

At the vigil, the members of the various communities were unanimous: the social harmony of all Quebecers, regardless of their faith or origins, must be protected. For them as for Denise Helly, this requires an inclusive political discourse, which recognizes the systemic problems that Quebec's religious and cultural communities suffer from.

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To go further...

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‍The provincial government has still not commented on the April 5 attack. Communities are still waiting for a response. Minister Benoit Charette, responsible for the fight against racism, shared his reaction with us in writing: “Our thoughts are with the Islamic Community Center of East Montreal and its entire community. These actions are deplorable, unacceptable, and it is fundamental to condemn them. Racism in Quebec is zero tolerance.”

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‍What's the difference between hate crime and hate incident?

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While you can file a complaint following a crime, incidents such as insults or actions are not punishable by law.

“An insult can quickly lead to a crime, the limit is fine, explains Marie-Claude Dandenault, who heads the SPVM module. The incident will not go to court because it is not criminal, but we will proceed with an investigation, as is the case with a crime.”

We invite you to report hate acts, whether criminal or not, to the police by calling 911, even in case of uncertainty. The CPRMV collects questions, listens to testimonies of hate acts and offers support.

This is possible by filling out a Form or by calling 514.687.7141 #116 and 1 877.687.7141 #116

The National Council of Muslims of Canada is proposing a Muslim community safety kit.A federal fund exists to secure places of worship.

It's about Program to fund security infrastructure projects for at-risk communities.