June 8, 2021
Mr. Sabir: We need to acknowledge that this hate exists in our societies, and we need to stop saying that this is not us. We need to stop saying that because this is happening in our communities, in our cities, to our fellow Albertans. Until we stop this, we need to stop saying that this is not us.
I do understand that it’s not a partisan issue, and when I say that it’s not a partisan issue, it doesn’t mean that it’s not a political issue. It is absolutely a political issue. Earlier I was listening to the hon. Premier’s remarks. The Premier said that our Muslim community has faced – he used the words “casual prejudice, soft bigotry.” The words used by the Premier were “casual prejudice” and “soft bigotry.” With respect I disagree with the Premier. I ask the Premier, I urge the Premier: come talk to us who are on the receiving end of this hate about whether it’s casual, whether it’s soft. Let us explain it to you. Many people in our communities, when you talk to them, don’t see it as casual prejudice. They don’t see it as soft bigotry. They see these incidents as extremely prejudicial and institutional bigotry.
Let me remind the members of this House that the niqab ban was not a soft bigotry. That was not a casual prejudice. That was institutional prejudice and institutional bigotry. The barbaric cultural practices hotline: that was not a soft prejudice; that was not a soft bigotry. That was institutionalized bigotry.
There was a motion before the federal House of Commons, Motion M-103. The entire Conservative Party of Canada voted against it, and all that motion was asking was for the House to denounce Islamophobia. That was institutional bigotry, to not be able to denounce Islamophobia. Every time a person like me goes to the airport, they are singled out for random checks. That’s institutional bigotry. If a person with the name Mohammed or even a name like mine tries to check in online before flying, they get denied even online check-in for random reasons. That’s institutional bigotry, and we need to call that out. These things are political. These things are done by certain political groups. We need to call them out as well. This needs to stop.











