Build bridges, not castles says Calgary Sikh Society over new worship security grant
Posted March 14, 2022 2:39 pm.
The Sikh Society of Calgary says putting up walls, gates, and security cameras won’t stop people from committing hate crimes.
This comes as the province announced it would be increasing funding to its security infrastructure program from $2 million to $5 million for places of worship, non-profits, charities, and other at-risk groups.
Related article: Alberta boosts funding to prevent hate-motivated crimes
“Building castles will not solve problems, it will create [more] problems,” explained Balihar Singh Dhillon, President of the Sikh Society of Calgary. “Instead, we should communicate with each other, educate, visit each other’s churches and schools.”
The Calgary Police Service has been reporting an uptick in hate-motivated crimes over the last few years.
Dhillon says education is key to helping reverse the trend in hate crimes.
“We can solve that hate. But hate is breeded in every different community because of ignorance, because they don’t have the education, they don’t have tolerance, because it got breeded right at home because [their] parents don’t know any better,” he said.
“What will be the next step? Then you will need bodyguards to protect yourself. So, the problems get further and further and further. Instead, we should build bridges between communities.”
The program was put in place after several churches were defaced across Alberta following the uncovering of unmarked graves at former residential school sites.
WATCH: At least ten Calgary churches were targeted in a string of overnight vandalisms in early July.
The Calgary Vietnamese Alliance Church was burned down last summer. Their pastor, Thai Nguyen, says he’s looking forward to applying for the government program so the church doesn’t go through the same thing again.
He tells CityNews if his church were to get the money to go towards a security system, then he believes they are less likely to be targeted by vandals, arsonists, or thieves.
“It will make it harder for them to do that and discourage them to come inside [to] do that” he said. “It happens many times, a homeless [person] would break the window and go to sleep inside.”
Nguyen says he called the police several times, and they didn’t do anything.
Ngyuen says he didn’t know about the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program until last week, and he’s looking at applying.
More details about the program are expected this spring.
