Unequal coverage of hate crimes in Ottawa: Community calls for fairness and consistency
by Abdirizak Mohamud, Managing Director, Suradway Parents Association of Ottawa
Wednesday 8 October 2025
The Suradway Parents Association of Ottawa is calling for equitable attention and accountability in how hate-motivated incidents are
investigated and reported across the city. Over the past two months, Ottawa has seen three violent attacks, all determined or
investigated as hate-motivated:
August 27 – College Square Loblaws: A Jewish woman was stabbed in an antisemitic assault that prompted national headlines and public condemnations from multiple levels of government.
August 11 – OC Transpo Bus (Kanata): A young Muslim woman wearing a hijab was assaulted and threatened; charges included inciting hate. The Prime Minister and the Mayor issued statements denouncing the attack.
August 25 – Blair Station: A Black Muslim woman was beaten and left bloodied and unable to work. Initially treated as a simple assault by OC Transpo, the case was later upgraded to a hate-motivated offence and transferred to the Ottawa Police
Service Hate and Bias Crime Unit.
Despite the Blair Station incident now being officially recognized as hate-motivated, no major media outlet has covered the case, and no political leader has issued a public statement. “When our political leaders and media outlets bring attention to hate crimes, they send a message to Canadians about the kind of nation we want to be, and about our values — selective empathy shouldn’t be one of them.”
— Abdirizak Mohamud, Managing Director, Suradway Parents Association of Ottawa Suradway is urging local and national institutions to adopt consistent standards of transparency and public communication when responding to hate-motivated violence.
The organization also calls on newsrooms to ensure equal visibility for all victims, regardless of race, faith, or background.
“Hate in Ottawa wears many faces — but our compassion and accountability must be one.”
— Abdirizak Mohamud