Muslims in Ottawa share what it's like amid a recent wave of hate after Oct. 7

Walking to his mosque in Ottawa's Blossom Park neighbourhood for Friday prayer, Abdulla Al Aidie wears a traditional flowing garment called a thobe. 

It's something the 23-year-old Palestinian-Canadian is comfortable wearing in the southern part of the national capital he and other Muslims call home, he says.

But he wouldn't dare wear the garb in downtown Ottawa, he says, not after an incident a few years ago when he was walking with his family in downtown Montreal. 

"We were called terrorists," he recalled.

In today's climate, after the Israel-Hamas war that began on Oct. 7 and ignited a fresh wave of Islamophobia worldwide, Abdulla Al Aidie fears he could be subjected to more than just hateful words. 

Last week, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) charged a 74-year-old local woman with assault, harassment and mischief for allegedly removing a hijab from a demonstrator near city hall.

It's only one of numerous occasions of Muslim or Jewish hate in recent months, according to the OPS. 

In January, the police force flagged a 160-per-cent, year-over-year jump in hate-related incidents against Muslims, while Jewish people were the most victimized group in OPS's most recent data from 2023, with 92 incidents reported last year.

Rising hate and social media 

Al Aidie is one of several Ottawa Muslims who spoke to CBC about their experiences before and after Oct. 7.

That includes a shared belief that the more recent wave of hate echoes the one that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Muslim communities faced intense hate and discrimination after the deadly attacks by the militant terrorist group al-Qaeda.

According to a 2003 report from the Canadian Islamic Congress, more than 170 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported to the group a year after 9/11, compared to 11 in 2000.

People are "very scared" by the similar spike happening now, said Chelby Daigle, an advocate for Black Muslims in Ottawa who runs Muslim Link, a website with news and information for Muslims in Ottawa and across the country. 

But this wave is unfolding differently because of the use of social media platforms like X and Facebook, which weren't around when 9/11 happened and negatively affected some people's views of the Muslim community, says Ramah Al Aidie, who is Abdulla Al Aidie's sister.

Since the latest Israel-Hamas war started in October, "I've seen so many posts of people becoming more educated on Islam, learning about the religion, and communicating with Muslim people," she said.

Without that kind open-mindedness, "I do think people who already have a negative mindset will continue to build on that [hate]," she added. 

Naveed Mangla, an imam at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at a mosque in Cumberland, said that while there has been a spike in hate, there has also been an increase in people coming to the mosque wanting to learn more about his religion.

For Muslim youth seeking counsel on how to counter acts of bullying and hurtful remarks, Mangla's advice is to respond with peace. 

"Because as soon as we do something … [that] is exactly what is expected of a Muslim in these kind of situations," he said. 

On-campus fears

Across Canadian university campuses, pro-Palestinian student protesters have set up encampments to demand their schools publicize and end any investments in Israeli defence companies.

While the sit-ins at the University of Ottawa have been tame compared to protests elsewhere where participants have clashed with police, safety remains an ongoing concern for some Muslim students at the school. 

Three University of Ottawa students who spoke with CBC say they've been shoved, surveilled and, like Al Aidie, called "terrorists" in recent months.

CBC agreed not to name the students because they're worried about being "doxxed" (having their contacts and personal details revealed) or they fear they might put their jobs at risk. 

They point to a protest last year where they say a female student was spat on and campus security, which was present at the demonstration, "didn't do anything."  

Then there's the fear of being cancelled.

Last November, Dr. Yipeng Ge was suspended from U of O residency after posting pro-Palestinian content that was also critical of Israel on his social media, leading to accusations of antisemitism.

While Ge was reinstated a few months later in January, he has not returned. 

The students say incidents like these caused a lot of distrust within the Muslim student community, saying their school failed to protect Dr. Ge and students facing discrimination. 

In an emailed statement, a university spokesperson said the school has "consistently" affirmed that no incidents of hate will be tolerated on its campuses. 

People who feel their rights have not been respected are encouraged to report incidents to faculty, the university's human rights office, or protection services, whose agents are "committed to maintaining public order on our campuses and ensuring the safety of all," according to the statement.  

More supports needed, advocate says

For Chelby Daigle of Muslim Link, the threat did go beyond words, she said. 

Daigle, who wears a hijab, was crossing a street in Ottawa's west end in 2019 when she heard a truck engine revving behind her.

Two white men were inside the truck, which slammed into her, she says. 

"They didn't drive away," she said, adding that the men just stared at her while making lewd gestures. 

Daigle was not seriously injured, but she was shaken to her core and reported the incident to police, she said. 

"To be targeted because of who you are is a very particularly disturbing form of violence," Daigle said. "You can't help who you are." 

Daigle said she was able to get mental health support but not everyone is so lucky and "sometimes [it's] hard to know how to heal from that."

Crisis counsellors are available through Ottawa Police Service's Victim Support Unit. But Daigle says that's not enough. She says survivors of hate-speech or assault that does not cause bodily harm don't qualify for those services. 

She wants to see funding to support victims who experience various levels of hate.

"We are often not able to guarantee people justice but we should be able to guarantee people supports," she said.

Abdulla Al Aidie, meanwhile, is hopeful he'll one day feel comfortable enough to wear his thobe anywhere in Ottawa — without fear of hateful comments. 

"I feel like the [younger] generation is more open-minded and is more willing to learn and listen and understand," he said. 

Ottawa Morning3:42There is a lot of fear': Being Muslim after Oct. 7th

Muslims in Ottawa say there is a lot of fear in the community amid the rise in hate-crimes. But thanks to social media, they are able to combat most of that hate, and tell their own narrative.