Latest news with #SistersDialogue
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Anti-racism a ‘core municipal responsibility' says Sohi during update on Edmonton's strategy to address hate-based violence
The Sisters Dialogue unveiled a new ad campaign aimed at addressing gender-based Islamophobia in Edmonton. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) The City of Edmonton received an update on its anti-racism strategy on Tuesday. The strategy to address hate-based violence and support the communities it affects was introduced by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi after the 2021 municipal election and was adopted by city council in 2022. 'Anti-racism work is not peripheral. It is a core municipal responsibility,' Sohi said on Tuesday. 'As Edmonton grows, this work ensures our services are becoming more accessible, our communities are inclusive, and our collective potential is fully realized.' During a Tuesday update, city administration said two out of three initial recommendations in the strategy had been completed. Those include expanding anti-racism grant funding – which Sohi said has supported about 140 initiatives in the city – and creating an organization within city administration to incorporate anti-racism and reconciliation action into city processes. That organization will work to meet seven corporate commitments over the next two years aimed at dismantling systemic barriers. 'The team's mandate involves working closely with colleagues across the corporation to celebrate diversity, promote inclusion, and begin to change a system that wasn't originally designed for everybody to be more equitable,' Salima Ebrahim, chief of staff to the city manager, explained. Sohi said he and members of his office also joined the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative to learn more about how other North American cities are tackling racism and how Edmonton can follow suit. 'Are our services accessible for people from diverse backgrounds? Are we delivering the right level of services for those communities' needs, such as support for newcomers or building an efficient, effective public transit system that racialized people, or newcomers and low income people rely on? 'I think those are the things that we need to continue to monitor and press upon to see the positive change that we want to see.' The third priority, to create an independent anti-racism body has yet to be completed. Sohi said a 15-person panel has been assembled to advise the city on how best to create that body. More information on Edmonton's anti-racism strategy can be found on the city's website.
CBC
08-02-2025
- General
- CBC
Camaraderie, safety and healing: Sisters Dialogue opens centre for Muslim women in Edmonton
It started as a way to ensure Muslim women had a voice amid a string of hate-fuelled attacks in Edmonton. Now, Sisters Dialogue is celebrating the grand opening of its first brick-and-mortar location for the hundreds who have found safety and solidarity within their collective these past four years. The space was designed to reflect the diversity of community members who donated ottomans from Morocco, prayer mats from Mecca, and an olive plant representing Palestine, with diverse images of Muslim women on the walls from an Islamophobia awareness photo exhibition in 2023. They named the space Amanah — an Arabic word used by Muslims to mean "responsibility" and they chose it reflect the responsibility of collective care by providing a healing space for community members. "We go through certain things or we experience certain things in a different way. So to have those shared experiences, our kids being friends — just being able to experience life together — it's really special," said Rebecca Pilon who attended her first gathering two years ago. Starting in December 2020, a string of brazen, high-profile verbal and physical attacks on racialized Muslim women in Edmonton sparked fear, anger, sadness and hyper-vigilance within the community. It's the origin story of Sisters Dialogue. In early 2021, a group of friends organized a pop-up webinar for Muslim women to discuss what was happening. More than 300 people registered. Some women shared experiences and feelings they had never spoken about. Within a week, Sisters Dialogue registered as a non-profit to receive provincial funding. Their offerings quickly multiplied into healing circles and culturally sensitive, free therapy. Monthly meet-ups support mothers of children on the spectrum while a group of environmentally-minded youth hold clothing swaps where you can score your next favourite hijab. The launch of SafetyWalk ensured Muslim women wouldn't have to walk alone in public and though funding has ended, the group hopes to start it up again. "We thought that a space where women can come and gather regularly was much needed," said Wati Rahmat, the founder and director of Sisters Dialogue, who volunteers her time on top of her day job. "We call it a safer space because safety is relative, not everyone feels safe in the same way." The group welcomes all who identify as Muslim women and their children. "Like maybe you're not wearing a hijab, maybe you have a tattoo and you go to pray and women look at you in a different way," Rahmat said. "We wanted a space where people still feel that they can practice Islam however they choose to, but not be judged and still have that community and connection." Hate on the streets When divisive rhetoric ramps up, Edmonton Muslims brace themselves for the backlash, said Rahmat. "When people see leaders talking about divisive issues, it emboldens those keyboard warriors that hide behind the screen, or on the street — they just shout out those things," Rahmat said. According to Edmonton police, 11 alleged Islamophobic crimes and three incidents were reported last year, though police couldn't confirm by deadline how many charges were laid. In 2023, there were seven alleged Islamophobic crimes and 11 incidents. However, Rahmat believes there are far more crimes that aren't reported and she recalls her own incident in 2019 where she was shaken to the core on a stroll along Jasper Ave., as a driver shouted "take that [hijab] off." It's one of the reasons even the lighthearted gatherings held by Sisters Dialogue have a therapist on hand. One of those therapists is Lucy Lu, who facilitates group therapy through art and theatre. As a woman of Chinese heritage who experienced the rise in racism during the pandemic, Lu knows the toll it takes on mental and physical health and how art can help. "It's ridiculous because people shouldn't be constantly living in fear. You're always activated, right?" Lu told CBC News. "So to understand that layer for people of colour, racialized folks, people who are visibly otherized in society — to understand that layer of harm that impacts people is so important." Lu said she found solidarity with Sisters Dialogue, which has also hosted events with the Uyghur community, Samson Cree Nation, Amnesty International and many others. Amanah opens its doors at 8925 51st Ave. to media and politicians Saturday before a grand opening for community members on Feb. 15.
