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He said those experiencing or hearing of incidents can leave messages which are answered within 24 hours.

It’s a service that can be collaborative with police hate crimes units, said Qureshi.

“This is complementary to that support mechanism, we would recommend they go directly to police in some cases,” he said.

“This is in no way a substitute for what police do.”

It’s also a way for the Muslim community to better gauge the level of active hatred in Alberta, said Qureshi, who added Albertans are by and large accepting and tolerant.

“We can actually come up with some statistics and answer that question because right now, we’re working with no benchmark,” he said.

Overseas terrorist events and the often discriminatory tenor of the U.S. presidential election race have the potential of negatively impacting relations in Canada, said Qureshi, who called it a “trickle down.”

Some of those helping Syrian refugees have described hateful verbal attacks directed at the newcomers.

Calgary police said they have little information on the hotline but encouraged those targeting in hate attacks to come to them so they can “not only investigate the specific crime, but also keep track of any issues and trends,” they said in a statement.

“We do however recognize the importance of other support mechanisms for anyone who wishes to discuss any non-criminal issues or concern they are facing in their community.”

Those wishing to report an incident can call toll-free 1-800-607-3312 or by email at: report@ampac.ca.