The Star: Hate crimes stats a warning to those who pander to fear and loathing

Amira Elghawaby, Canadian Anti-Hate Network board member, writes in the Toronto Star:

"No one would have anticipated the ugly wave of hatred and anger that would rise up against Muslims and other minority communities just as the nation sought to grapple with the aftermath of the horrific massacre of six worshippers at a Quebec City mosque.

But new statistics show that hate crimes in 2017 year rose by nearly 50 per cent since the previous year. Crimes targeting Muslims increased by a staggering 151 per cent; those targeting Jews, by 63 per cent, and those targeting Black people, by 50 per cent, among other increases.

It’s clearly time for some deep reflection — particularly amongst our elected officials. What should have been a straightforward effort to examine the ongoing harassment and discrimination against minority communities that year became a highly contentious wedge issue. The steep price of pandering to populist tendencies couldn’t be more clear."

Full story: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/12/03/hate-crimes-stats-a-warning-to-those-who-pander-to-fear-and-loathing.html