MONTREAL — Quebec’s human rights commission says the vast majority of xenophobic and Islamophobic hatred in the province goes unreported to competent authorities.
The organization has released the results of a two-year study that recommends the provincial government recognize the phenomenon and prioritize measures aimed at combating it.
The commission’s president says in 78 per cent of the cases it examined, the person experiencing the discrimination didn’t report the matter to authorities despite the fact it constitutes a serious form of prejudice.
Participants cited a number of reasons for not reporting, including distrust in institutions, minimization of the acts, lack of awareness of the available remedies or concerns of racial profiling by police.
The study looked at 86 people who reported experiencing xenophobic or Islamophobic hate in various regions of Quebec.
It was commissioned by the previous Liberal government under its anti-radicalization measures.