Edmonton’s Sisters Dialogue seeks help to fight Islamophobia
Speakers at Sisters Dialogue panel discussion in March 2021
By Wati Rahmat, Founder - Sisters Dialogue
Since December 2020, there has been countless assaults and attacks on Black and racialized Muslim women in Edmonton, Alberta, most of which go unreported.
The 7 that were reported in the media were very troubling and violent - a woman was viciously thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious while walking on her own, and two sisters were attacked at knife-point in a park.
Muslim women in Edmonton are scared, anxious and fearful.
Many women suffer from vicarious trauma and are afraid to go out alone or take public transit.
We at Sisters Dialogue have been advocating for more supports for Muslim women.
We are advocating for better security at transit centers, tougher legislation against hate crimes, an anti-Islamophobia awareness campaign and programming to support Muslim women through a framework that centers community care and mental health.
Sisters Dialogue is made up of a group of diverse Muslim women from all backgrounds coming together to provide culturally safe spaces and supports for racialized Muslim women and girls, and to advocate for the Muslim community on systemic and emerging issues.
Presently, there is a lack of initiatives led by Muslim women and more needs to be done to support women leaders in the Muslim community and to help them build capacity.
Sisters Dialogue (SD) aims to provide culturally safe spaces and supports for racialized Muslim women and girls, through an intersectional, collaborative, and women-centered framework.
We also advocate for the Muslim community on systemic and emerging issues and engage in foster bridge-building with Indigenous and other racialized communities, guided by principles embodied as Treaty people
SD is proactive in responding to communities impacted by violence through effective community-based, culturally safe, and victim-centered intervention.
We have been able to support a number of victims of Islamophobia by sending care packages, connecting them to services, or guiding them through reporting to the relevant authorities.
We also support victims of domestic violence who have reached out to us.
We have been promised provincial funding for a number of our initiatives which include subsidized referrals to a Muslim therapist.
We are also working on various initiatives including safe walks, healing circles, art therapy, an anti-Islamophobia awareness campaign, a domestic violence awareness panel, and a bystander intervention information leaflet.
Grants will support the program delivery costs but we cannot sustain these programs without your additional support.
Please donate so that we can continue to provide support for Muslim women in our community, and advocate for more to be done to ensure our safety.
Donations can be made through our Launchgood campaign link below or through etransfer to sistersdialogue@gmail.com.
https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/empower_muslim_women_to_fight_islamophobia#!/
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