Hawzah News Agency (Calgary, Canada) -Modelled after a federal program, the UCP election proposal would put aside $1 million per year to help mosques, synagogues and other religious institutions pay for security cameras, fences, alarm systems, and stronger windows.
“This investment in security is a practical way to help protect those who are targeted by hate-motivated crimes, and to defend religious freedom,” said UCP Leader Jason Kenney in a statement Friday.
The UCP press release does not mention Islamophobia, white supremacy, or anti-Semitism, but does mention the recent increase in “disturbing” hate crimes in Alberta.
Though the funding could be a great help for religious communities who are feeling unsafe, it fails to tackle the core problem, said Noor Al-Henedy, the communications director for the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton, Canada’s oldest mosque.
“It’s just really a Band-Aid,” Al-Henedy said. “More people need to acknowledge this as an actual problem instead of trying to contain it.”
Someone with hateful views who wishes to harm people will still find a way, Al-Henedy said. And the community will still have to deal with the hatred and fear that comes with the underlying problem.
“We can’t just sit down and up our security and be cautious,” she said. “What are we going to do to root out the problem and eliminate it? How can we change hearts?”
Albertans will head to the polls April 16. Already, in the first two weeks of the campaign, candidates’ signs have been defaced with swastikas and racist slurs.
The program would let religious groups apply for up to $100,000 in grants, provided the group can match the amount through some other funding — similar to the federal program, which Kenney helped establish when he was an MP.
Groups could use the grants to buy alarm systems, fences, gates, lighting, security film for windows, CCTV systems, exterior security cameras, anti-graffiti sealant, and motion detectors.
Al-Henedy said it could be difficult for some religious groups to come up with the cash to match a government grant, but the program could still be a helpful “support system.”
“I think we should initially be thinking of how to root out the problem as well,” she added.
Earlier this month, and before the election writ was dropped, the NDP government announced it would create a provincial unit of police and law enforcement officials to tackle hate crimes in Alberta, fulfilling a recommendation from a 2018 report by the province.
The same report led to the creation of an Anti-Racism Advisory Council and a Community Anti-Racism Grants program.
The grants led to 33 projects in its first year. The projects included anti-racism training, supports for victims of Islamophobia, a video game that lets users learn about the experiences of racialized people, and a collection of stories from Indigenous seniors.