As hate-motivated crime rises, community tries to find a solution

By: Arshia Kochar

BELLEVILLE- Religious communities in Belleville are looking for solid and practical solutions to overcome the problem of hate crimes in the community.

The Israel-Hamas war has led to visible examples of  antisemitism and Islamophobia in many communities across North America.

The Sons of Jacob synagogue and the Islamic Society of Belleville are two prominent organizations in Belleville that have dealt with incidents and are leading them to seek possible solutions for their own safety.

Norman Weddum is the president of Sons of Jacob synagogue.  

“It’s (anti-semitism) even larger than anyone could have anticipated,” he said.

“When things broke out in the Middle East, that’s when we have really started to see the hate crime.”

There has been a rise in hate crime incidents locally. But it’s in the big cities where the rise has been more dramatic. Toronto has seen a rise of 42%, while the number rose from 104 to 134 hate crimes in Montreal in 2023, according to a report.

“Belleville has been fairly lucky; we’re certainly not like the big cities like Montreal and Toronto,” said Weddum. 

The Ontario government has also taken steps to reduce hate crimes. The Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) grant has been launched to stop hate crime across the province. Anti-hate groups can apply for this grant to promote a safer and more inclusive community.

Ali Mirza, a member of the Islamic Society of Belleville management committee, says in an email that he was aware of this grant and has also applied for a security grant in the past.

“It will help to improve the safety of our mosque and make Ontario safer for its residents,” he said. ” We did get a security grant for our mosque last year.” 

He says grants are helpful in the bigger picture, but as a community, they need our their own solutions to overcome the increasing issue of hate-motivated crime. 

“No fighting; I mean again, protesting is legal and is allowed, but no matter who it is, doesn’t matter; has to behave themselves,” says Weddum. 

Mirza had a similar opinion for a solution for this problem for our community. 

“It’s the duty of law enforcement agencies to protect law-abiding citizens. With the help of social media nowadays, it’s possible to capture hate crimes and prosecute the criminals,” he says. “Education to promote peace and harmony among different religious groups.”