A Vancouver-based anti-hate hotline says new provincial funding can open doors for more opportunities to raise awareness in the community amid the recent rise of Islamophobia.
Hasan Alam, a labour and human rights lawyer who founded the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline, says the new provincial funding will expand outreach to communities affected by Islamophobia.
On April 23, the B.C. government announced grants totalling $300,000 to over 60 community organizations to fund projects, such as cultural festivals, anti-hate helplines, and educational workshops that address racism and promote multiculturalism.
“These are exactly the sort of projects and initiatives, when it comes to combating hate, that the province should be putting money into,” Alam said while expressing his gratitude for the funding.
Alam says his hotline provides free and confidential legal consultation to Muslims and others experiencing Islamophobia in B.C, such as discrimination at work or school.
One of the services that the organization provides, Alam says, is hosting workshops and educating people about their rights when they have to go through Islamophobic incidents.
Recently, the hotline held an event in Surrey toward geared to young people aged 18 to 24 on how to deal with discrimination.
“One of the barriers is that people don’t know that this resource is out there,” said Alam.
The Vancouver lawyer expressed his concerns about the marginalization of the people who face Islamophobia.
Some of them, he says, can often be immigrants who are unfamiliar with the Canadian legal system and the services available.
Data from Statistics Canada shows a steep increase in Islamophobic incidents in Canada, rising from 84 in 2020 to 229 in 2024.
“[Islamophobia] silences people, shuts down debate, reinforces prejudice, and dehumanizes individuals and communities. In doing so, it makes discrimination easier and desensitizes us to threats and violence,” said the Canadian Human Rights Commission in a press release.
Niki Sharma, the attorney general of B.C., praised the work of local non-profit organizations that offer support for people in British Columbia.
“By supporting these organizations, the grants further enable the creation of social, cultural, and economic opportunities for vulnerable and racialized individuals,” said Sharma.
Alam worries that the ongoing war between Israel and Iran will result in a rise in Islamophobia.
“We just want to be doing more of what we’re doing and make sure that we’re helping those who need this, who are being impacted by Islamophobia.”