The Paris attacks have raised concerns of a potential backlash against the 25,000 Syrian refugees Canada has pledged to take in.
Julie Chamagne, the executive director of the Halifax Refugee Clinic, is a French national with dual citizenship. She says she’s scared Canada will become anti-immigration because of the attacks.
“It’s an Islamophobic sentiment that we can't let them in and there are terrorists in their midst,” said Chamagne.
Halifax imam Abdelkader Tayebi says the concern is reasonable.
“I think there is a legitimate concern to have a worry but not an attitude,” he said.
But Tayebi, whose mosque intends to help families settle, advises government to be vigilant.
“We need our government to scrutinize the process and keep an eye on people when they come here. Not an eye of doubt, but vigilant,” said Tayebi.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage is co-chair of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities’ task force of Syrian refugee settlement. He says hatred and bigotry can't be combatted with a closed mind.
“We should keep in mind the people who are fleeing their country are fleeing this kind of violence - this kind of hatred and are looking for a better world,” said Savage. "I know that the feds are going to be careful with security when they bring refugees here.”
In Halifax, City Hall was covered in the lights of the French flag as hundreds gathered Saturday night for a vigil to commemorate Paris attack victims.
Chamagne says when she lived in Paris, her home was just metres from the Cambodian restaurant where many patrons were murdered.
“It would have been very reasonable that that (my family) would have been in one of those locations on Friday night,” said Chamagne. “I started frantically texting all my friends and family to see if they were ok.”
Chamagne says Canadians cannot succumb to fear mongering.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Rick Grant.
