Muslim women in Alberta say graffiti found near an Edmonton daycare this month is another instance of Islamophobia that feeds into misconceptions about the religion and how women are perceived in it.
The Edmonton Police Service is investigating after Islamophobic graffiti was scrawled near a daycare for Muslim children on the city’s north side.
The graffiti has gotten condemnation from political leaders on all levels in Canada and national advocacy group the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
Nisreen Ibrahim, a social work masters student with Edmonton-based grassroots collective Sisters Dialogue, said incidents like this are damaging to her sense of safety.
Sisters Dialogue was formed in 2021 in response to rising Islamophobic attacks, and aims to create culturally safer spaces and support for Muslim women and youth through a trauma-informed approach rooted in community care.
“It was feelings of a lack of safety in a community that I grew up in and I have kind of really relied on,” Ibrahim said CBC News.
Ibrahim, who is a visible Muslim woman who wears hijab, said the graffiti is based on misconceptions around women who practise the faith.
“Incidents like this fuel misconceptions about Islam being oppressive towards women and Muslim women needing saving from other cultures or other other communities.”
WARNING: The following image shows graffiti depicting hateful sentiments
The Edmonton Police Service is investigating after Islamophobic graffiti was scrawled near a daycare for Muslim children on the city’s north side. The matter became public after the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) posted a screenshot of the graffiti online on June 15. (Submitted by National Council of Canadian Muslims)
Ibrahim said over the past five years, her sense of safety has decreased.
“I’m echoing what I’m hearing from other Muslim women in my circles, that there’s a hyper vigilance for sure now, as these stories come out, could it be me next, could it be my friend, could it be my sister, could it be my mom?”
Statistics Canada’s data shows a 173 per cent increase between 2020 to 2024 in police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslim people.
Saima Mafat is regional director for Alberta and B.C for the Nisa Foundation. The foundation operates a range of supports for Muslim women and children like shelters across Canada and two in Edmonton and Calgary along with a helpline.
“As a Muslim myself, as a mother and as someone who works closely with families, my heart definitely goes out immediately to the children, the staff, and the parents, who now have to process something that they should not have had to experience,” said Mafat.
“I think the impact goes beyond the graffiti itself. I know incidents like this create fear and uncertainty. Parents are going to begin asking questions, whether the children are actually safe, families question whether they are truly welcome.”
Mafat said the foundation helps women and children who are fleeing domestic violence, homelessness, and poverty.
She added that it is important for there to be culturally responsive support so Muslim women feel empowered to seek help and so that the general public is aware of what Islamophobia is and how to call it out.
“I think that education needs to happen at all levels, whether it’s front line, whether it’s at schools, whether it’s educators, just across the board. And I think generally people are more receptive once they know more, and I think education plays a big role in that.”
Ibrahim said more tangible actions are needed to counter Islamophobia.
“I think Muslim people and Muslim women need to be at the table,” she said.
“It needs to be outright made clear that something like this is unacceptable, and so I think everybody has a role and a part to play in that.”
Both Sisters Dialogue and Nisa Foundation say they are offering extended support for anyone who has been impacted by this incident.