Gathering for Canadian newcomers held in Victoria Park

Members of Waterloo region's Muslim community held a gathering for Canadian newcomers in Victoria Park.

The Coalition of Muslim Women (CMW) K-W invited women in the Afghan and South Asian community to share a meal at the Kitchener park Friday evening.

"For women, language is the biggest barrier," said Tuba Sangar of the coalition. "They feel isolated."

Many of the community say they are still processing what police are calling a hate-motivated attack on one of the organization's staff members at a Kitchener Drive Centre.

Staff with CMW say Muslim women face similar kind of discrimination routinely.

"Women like this go through hundreds of incidents like this and often times they don't even know that it is worth reporting or that its wrong and they shouldn't be facing that," said Munazza Abbasi of the coalition.

The group says that one of the biggest challenges for those new to Canada is trusting police, especially for those who come from countries where that is not the norm.