Why tracking 'hate incidents' that don't break the law is crucial to tackling rise in hate crimes

Irfan Chaudhry

From Mohammed Abu Marzouk being viciously beaten on his way home from a picnic, to a man in a grocery store refusing to let another customer leave and calling him a 'illegal immigrant' — hate-fuelled confrontations in Canada appear to be on the rise.

According to a Statistics Canada report released in June, police-reported hate crimes are increasing. But experts say the observation of incidents of hate that fall outside criminal offences are also crucial. 

"I often go back to an analogy that a colleague of mine Barbara Perry, a leading hate crime researcher in Ontario, [uses]," said Irfan Chaudhry, the director of the office of Human Rights, Diversity and Equity at MacEwan University. "She talks about the 'slaps' versus the 'punches' — the punches being that hate crimes are more obvious, they're more physical ... they're the ones that we hear more about. But the slaps are just as impactful."

Chuandry helps run an online tool called StopHateAB.ca that tracks hate incidents in Alberta.

He spoke to The Current's guest host Ioanna Roumeliotis about why paying closer attention to more subtle forms of hate-fuelled violence can help in understanding the climate of hate and possibly preventing future attacks.  (more...)

Why tracking 'hate incidents' that don't break the law is crucial to tackling rise in hate crimes

Background:

Police investigating alleged racist incident caught on camera at London, Ont. grocery store