Islamophobic – The leaders of Muslim communities believe that a brand new tool for reporting hate crimes can bridge the gap between unreported hate crimes and official figures.
The Islamophobia-Motivated Incident Reporting Tool (IMIRT) app, available nationwide, was unveiled Saturday at the Tawheed Community Centre in Mississauga.
Imam Ibrahim Hindy said the app resulted from an incident motivated by hate on Mar. 19, 2022. During that time, an individual walked into the close Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre and released bear spray towards individuals while wielding the hatchet. With a rising tide of Islamophobic scepticism, the groups behind the app would like to ensure that those who are part of the community are aware of its availability.
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“This app is not merely a tool for reporting incidents; it’s a resource for the community,” Hindy said. Hindy is the director of religion for Yaqeen Canada at Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research.
“It allows us to identify patterns, understand the dynamics of Islamophobia and advocate for necessary changes to protect our community.”
As per Toronto police stats, hateful crimes against members of the community have increased in Ontario in the last month of October as the war between Israel and Palestine began. However, many people in the community claim that incidents are not reported because of the mistrust of police, which prevents the victims from speaking out.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the group that created the app, stated that it recorded 274 hate crimes across the country between mid-October and mid-November. More than 60 per cent of Ontario is all by itself.
There was a “huge increase” after Oct. 7. Uthman, Quick, Director of Communications, said it’s not their first experience of having experienced an enormous increase.
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“These reports come from every aspect of society. Schools, places of worship, workplaces, people being physically and verbally assaulted on the streets,” Quick declared.
“And these are the reports that we receive at NCCM. We know there is much more out there, including reports to other organizations in our communities and a lot that goes unreported. This app will make things easier.”
Apps can identify patterns and encourage authorities to take action: experts.
Third-party reporting methods have become vital places that are important to Muslim communities, particularly in light of an era of distrust towards law enforcement, which is the result of being under-policed, according to Barbara Perry, the director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University.
“When they do report, you know, it’s often not taken seriously,” she explained.
Perry says that IMIRT apps can assist in identifying patterns in hate-motivated violence that could be referred to police.
“It is a way of documenting the problem so that, you know, there can be pressure then brought to bear to act,” she explained.
Studies have shown that people might be hesitant to inform police of fears of being a victim again and also a desire to avoid the risk of bringing “negative attention” to themselves as well as their institution or community, the first anti-Islamophobia Canadian rep Amira Elghawaby.
Although the app isn’t designed to replace law enforcement agencies in severe crimes of hate, Elghawaby says it can assist through communications and possibly counselling.
“These are important, very effective ways to address the urgent fight we have to combat hate in Canada,” she said.
Hindy states that data will not be shared, and there’s no plan to work directly with the police. He is hopeful that IMIRT will help to start a dialogue with the Muslim community as well as the police.
“We’re open to meeting with law enforcement, showing them what the app can do, seeing their feedback,” Hindy stated.
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