Public Safety committee  From the work that we're seeing, yes.

Public Safety committee  To be honest, I think that a lot of the conversation we're having right now is a bit backwards. We hear a lot from academics. We hear a lot from law enforcement. However, the victims are not at the centre of this conversation. Twenty years ago, I used to work for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and I could see how when you centre victims' voices, that integration supports not only the social services sector but the policing environment and the justice system.

Public Safety committee  I think we need to stop saying to some people that we believe you and to others that we don't. I think what we need to do is focus strictly on victims and hear what their perspectives are and to actually believe them. That doesn't come from just saying I believe you or I don't believe you.

Public Safety committee  Was that to me or Mr. Aziz?

Public Safety committee  I think there's a real divide. To be frank, when we look at police forces who are responding to hate, because police forces in urban areas have more exposure to racialized communities and have more racialized police officers, their ability to understand the impact of what's happening is typically better than it is for those in rural areas.

Public Safety committee  I think you would have to ask the RCMP that.

Public Safety committee  That's correct. We've been in existence since 1996 as a federal Crown corporation.

Public Safety committee  That's correct.

Public Safety committee  The number I was quoting was from Statistics Canada, and I'm not sure whether they break it down between left or right. I think the threat for extremism comes from many different places. However, when we are briefed by the RCMP in terms of some of the focus that they have, right-wing extremism and white supremacist groups definitely are at the top of that list.

Public Safety committee  Thank you very much for the question. Yes, we've done a number of surveys in regard to online hate, in particular whether or not Canadians are in favour of supporting online hate legislation and their experiences of facing online hate. I think some of the more striking numbers that come to bear from that research are around who the victims are.

Public Safety committee  If we want people to feel like they belong to this country, that their safety and well-being matter, that when they are the victims of hate and IMVE they won't be left to fend for themselves—

Public Safety committee  Thank you. Thank you for having me here today. I want to acknowledge that I'm speaking to you from the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in Mississauga, Ontario. My name is Mohammed Hashim. I'm the executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.