Building Bridges: Combatting Hate Through Faith and Dialogue

In September 2024, the Canadian Government launched its Action Plan on Combatting Hate. This initiative seeks to address the worrying rise in police-reported hate crimes, which disproportionately targets Indigenous Peoples, Black, racialized, religious minority, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities, women, as well as persons with disabilities. Dr. Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, founder of PLEDJ, was invited to speak at the conference marking the launch of the Action Plan, and emphasized the urgent need for inclusion, safety, and bridge-building across diverse communities.

Addressing Hate Against Faith Communities

With the rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic hate crimes, it is crucial to explore how faith communities can respond to and counter hate while building bridges. Feeling safe in the spaces where we walk, work, protest, pray, and learn is a fundamental right and essential to living with dignity – something we can all agree on.

To address these pressing issues, on Friday, February 21, the Global Peace and Social Justice Initiative (GPSJ) at McGill’s School of Social Work and PLEDJ convened a panel discussion featuring locally-based religious leaders from the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths for students of the School of Social Work and McGill community. The panelists shared their perspectives on combatting discrimination through faith-based initiatives, highlighting the role of interfaith collaboration in building inclusive and resilient communities.

It was a gift to be able to bring together for exchange:

• Reverend Arlen John Bonnar, St. James United Church

• Rabbi Boris Dolin, Congregation Dorshei Emet

• Imam Hassan Guillet

• With moderation by Dr. Amal Elsana Alhjooj, founder of PLEDJ, Associate Professor at the McGill School of Social Work, and Director of GPSJ.

McGill School of Social Work and PLEDJ staff along with the panelists.

Some of the key takeaways from the discussion among the faith leaders included:

• Active Listening: Listen more than you speak to create true understanding.

• Community Connection: We cannot combat hate in isolation – gather, connect, and support one another, across faiths too.

• Love as a Guiding Principle: The principle of loving one’s neighbor is foundational to all faith traditions.

• Recognizing Our Intrinsic Value: Each person is a valuable member of society and their community.

• "Not in my name": Speak out against acts of hate and destruction committed in the name of religion. Acknowledge and confront these issues within your own religious communities.

Watch the recording of the panel discussion, the third of the Solidarity Dialogues Webinar Series, here:

Solidarity Dialogues: Extending the Practice into Universities

A key outcome of the Solidarity Dialogues training of community leaders across Montreal is the development of dialogue initiatives by each participating leader within their own communities. Amal Elsana and Brian Bronfman (Peace Network for Social Harmony), who participated in the Solidarity Dialogues themselves, facilitated this initiative for bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD social work students at McGill.

McGill School of Social Work students during the panel's Q&A session.

Over the course of 20 sessions, totaling 60 hours, 281 students engaged in dialogues on challenging topics to reach understanding and empathy among one another. These sessions presented emotional challenges – not only for the students but also for the facilitators. However, these difficult and often uncomfortable conversations are essential to get through to the other side of empathy and understanding. These sessions were integral for the students’ growth as not only individuals and community-members, but also as future social workers.

Through the Solidarity Dialogues at McGill, participants learned:

• How to have difficult conversations in a safe and supportive environment.

• That personal identities don’t need to be left at the door – engaging authentically is vital.

• The importance of holding space for one another, even in disagreement.

• The power of active listening as a tool for understanding and empathy.

The panel discussion and ongoing Solidarity Dialogues reinforce a crucial message: building an inclusive society requires commitment, courage, and collective action. By fostering dialogue within and across faith communities, we can overpower hate and create a future rooted in justice, respect, and mutual understanding.

The Solidarity Dialogues is a PLEDJ initiative, delivered in partnership with the Peace Network for Social Harmony. To learn more about the Solidarity Dialogues program, follow this link. PLEDJ also expresses our appreciation for the generous support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for the program. Additionally, PLEDJ thanks the Power Corporation of Canada, Donner Foundation, and Trottier Family Foundation for their support.