Alberta Islamophobia hotline surprised by volume of calls

Since launching in late March, an Islamophobia hotline is getting almost one call day.

"I didn't anticipate that we would have such a high volume of calls," said Mustafa Farooq, with the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council, who started the hotline.

" We were kind of expecting perhaps one or two a week."

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The line has received 78 calls or emails from people who may have beentargeted byslurs while walking on the street orharassed at work.

The callers,from across Alberta, are oftenunsure what to do, whether theincident warrants a police report or some otherstep, Farooq said during an interview on CBC Edmonton's Radio Active.

He recalls an incident whena personwalking along Whyte Avenue in Edmonton was targeted bya construction workeryelling racist slurs.

"They didn't what to do. 'Am I supposed to be calling the cops?' You don't want to make a big deal about this on Whyte Avenue."

The feeling of shame and alienation is so strongthat most people don't know how to respond, he said.

"If someone comes up to you and starts screaming at you to go back to your country and starts threatening you that they're going to hurt you, most people don't expect that here in Canada. As a result so many people just don't know how to react.

"I had a woman call and she kept weeping copiously, because someone had hurled some slurs at her."

The woman had lived in Canada for 40 years and never experienced anything like it, he said.

The worst thing about racism is the sense or feeling you just don't belong, he said.

"You're born or raised in Alberta and then all of a sudden someone makes you feel like you're not welcome."

Farooq, who was born and raised in Edmonton, said in his experience "the vast majority of Albertans are so friendly and amazing."

But nonetheless he's seeing a spike in Islamophobiain Alberta that is following anational trendthat began about two years ago.

The hotline, staffed by six people including four lawyers, a communication consultant and a social worker, tries to offer callers apreliminary solution or referral within 48 hours.

"It's not much," Farooq said. "It's a very humble effort, but it's a way people can get a little bit of justice."

Thehotline number is1-800-607-3312. Callers will be asked toleave a message and expect a responsewithin 24 hours.