Black, Muslim women in Edmonton face multifaceted discrimination, senators told

Andrea Huncar - Thursday - CBC

Senators are hearing about the many ways Black, Muslim women in Edmonton face discrimination, as the Senate Committee on Human Rights stops in select Canadian cities most impacted by Islamophobia.

Dunia Nur, president of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, urged senators Thursday to look at Islamophobia from a multifaceted lens.

Black, Muslim women face Islamophobia, in addition to anti-Black racism, Afrophobia and gender-based discrimination and violence, Nur told senators.

"When you identify and you experience that pain on a daily basis, it is as if you are excluded and you feel a sense of isolation and you belong to no community," Nur told CBC News, after her presentation.

The committee hearings were born out of the alarming rise in Islamophobia in Canada, said Sen. Salma Ataullahjan, the chair of the committee.

Police-reported hate crime against Muslim people in Canada rose from 84 incidents in 2020, to 144 incidents in 2021, Statistics Canada data shows.



Sen. Salma Ataullahjan said the Senate Committee on Human Rights will look at gendered Islamophobia.

© Min Dhariwal/CBC News

"The one thing we're finding out: it's really bad for Muslim women," Ataullahjan said while on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

"We're going to be looking at gendered Islamophobia, and if you're Black and Muslim, then your experiences are worse."

Black, Muslim women have been the target of a string of verbal and physical attacks in Edmonton in recent years.

One of the victims said Edmonton police initially discouraged her from filing a report, an allegation Nur flagged to the committee Thursday.

Nur said Black, Muslim women need a hearing of their own because they have largely been left out of consultations to address the violence.

"Black Muslim women need a space where they can add and contribute," Nur said.

"I don't see anybody here that is directly from that community."

Senator 'shocked'

B.C. Sen. Mobina Jaffer was shocked by what she heard about Edmonton police, and said the committee will follow up.

"To hear from the community they had very little support from the police, that has shocked me," Jaffer said. "That's not the image I have of our police."

CBC News contacted the Edmonton Police Service for comment, but it did not immediately respond.

Senate committee members heard from Muslims and academics in Vancouver on Wednesday. They will be visiting Quebec City and Toronto in the coming weeks.

Their findings will be the basis of a report that will provide recommendations to the federal government about how to address Islamophobia.

Edmonton's Muslim community testifies to Senate human rights committee on Islamophobia

Anna Junker - Thursday-Edmonton Journal


“Violent Islamophobia is here in Alberta” a Senate human rights committee studying Islamophobia heard Thursday morning.


Farha Shariff speaks to the Senate human rights committee hearing examining the sources of Islamophobia, its effect on individuals, and incidents of discrimination, physical violence and online hate against Muslims, in Edmonton Thursday Sept. 8, 2022. 

Photo By David Bloom

Members of Edmonton’s Muslim community testified in front of the committee at the Signature Sandman Hotel in Downtown Edmonton. The study began in mid-June with an aim to examine the sources of Islamophobia, its effect on individuals, and incidents of discrimination, physical violence and online hate against Muslims.

Senator Salma Ataullahjan, the chair of the human rights committee, proposed the study on Islamophobia.

“When I was looking at the stats and I found out that the most Muslims killed in a G7 country, were in Canada, I was shocked to find that out, because we don’t think of Canada as a place where you have so much violence,” she said. “I realized that there’s a bigger issue here.”

The morning session heard from a number of witnesses, including Said Omar, the Alberta Advocacy Officer for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. He described to the committee recent attacks against Black and Muslim women over the past two years .

“The problem of violent Islamophobia is here in Alberta,” Omar said. “Violent Islamophobia is a prominent threat that looms over our community.”

He detailed the most recent reported incident in the city, when on Jan. 1, a woman and her children were attacked outside a mosque by a man . The man punched and spat on the vehicle while uttering Islamophobic threats, then left the mosque and returned with a shovel. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Related
Why are Muslim women in Edmonton being attacked? Details reveal a complicated history

Edmonton's Muslim community asks for urgency in wake of latest attack

Farha Shariff, senior advisor for equity diversity, inclusion and decolonization at the University of Alberta, told the committee she has been a target of Islamophobia and so have her loved ones.

“My parents have been the targets of Islamophobia,” she said. “My three children, girls, have been the targets of Islamophobia. My husband has been the target of Islamophobia. The living stories of Islamophobia exist in this room.”

She said Islamophobia is an example of systemic racism in Canada.

“However, Muslims and other racialized groups will always bear the collective guilt and responsibility for actions committed or alleged,” she said.

Witnesses also talked about trying to report instances of Islamophobic attacks, but being turned away by police or not being taken seriously.

“We have no mechanisms of reporting Islamophobia,” said Dunia Nur, president and CEO of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council.

She stressed to committee members that Black Muslim women need to have a seat at a table when trying to address the issue of Islamophobia and other hate crimes.

“We have been left out of recommendations, we have been left out of consultations, we have been left out of our own communities,” Nur said. “We have been left out of legislative recommendations in terms of what a path of moving forward means.

“We have a lot of rich knowledge we can share.”

Ataullahjan said the speakers were very powerful, and there are now many aspects of the study that need to be looked at, including potentially renaming “Islamophobia.”

“We’ve had speakers express concern that to have a phobia means you’re just scared of someone, but it doesn’t address the issues of the Muslims,” she said. “We need to look at the fear that the Muslims live in, the discrimination that they face.”

After an abrupt adjournment due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the committee resumed in the afternoon and heard from eight more witnesses. The committee plans to hear from more witnesses in Quebec City and Toronto and will ultimately publish a report with recommendations.

ajunker@postmedia.com

London attack comes amid federal government inaction on Islamophobia: expert

OTTAWA — The federal government hasn't gone far enough in addressing Islamophobia in Canada despite the rise of anti-Muslim hate in recent years, a Wilfrid Laurier University professor said.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Jasmin Zine said the London, Ont., attack that left four members of a Muslim family dead is another episode in a series of attacks that targeted Muslim Canadians across the country in the last few years amid lack of concerted government action to tackle the rise in Islamophobia.

Zine said she is working with a group of researchers on a study that will come out in the fall to document how a network of associations, groups, activists and donors has been promoting anti-Muslim hate in what she calls an "Islamophobia industry."

"We're inspired to act, to do this kind of work because of tragedies like the Quebec massacre, this horrible terror attack in London, the stabbing of a Muslim caretaker at a (Toronto) mosque (last year) and all of the other incidents and issues of Islamophobia that happen on a daily basis," she said.

More than four years before the London, Ont., attack, a gunman stormed a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017, shooting dead six men and seriously injuring 19 people.

Liberal MP Iqra Khalid tabled a motion in Parliament following the attack calling on the federal government to address Islamophobia and study it along with religious discrimination and systemic racism.

The motion was adopted in March 2017, although 91 Conservative and Bloc Québécois members voted against it, including Erin O'Toole, who is now the Tory leader. A national study and hearings by the House of Commons heritage committee emerged from that motion.

"The report that came out of that, unfortunately, sidelined Islamophobia," Zine said, noting that only two of the 30 recommendations in the report referred explicitly to Islamophobia.

"I felt that was a lost opportunity to provide some important calls to actions, some important strategies that could specifically address Islamophobia."

Zine said the focus on Islamophobia was also sidelined in Canada's anti-racism strategy.

"It needs to be far more salient."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement that the attack is yet another example of the existence of Islamophobia in Canada.

"This horrific situation shows how important it is to act against Islamophobia and to do so quickly," he said.

"The Trudeau government promised to tackle online hate and we are still waiting. It is crucial that we immediately implement measures to tackle online hate including regulations to make social media platforms remove hateful and violent content from their platforms."

O'Toole's office didn't immediately respond to a comment request.

Green party Leader Annamie Paul called on the Liberal government to create a national anti-Islamophobia strategy.

Paul told a news conference that a comprehensive national strategy should include law enforcement, education and identifying those who are promoting hateful ideologies.

"A national strategy on Islamophobia … is something that the community has been asking for and is overdue," Paul said

She said the government has a duty to identify, expose and root out movements that promote discrimination and hate, and to ensure that those who promote such ideologies know that there will be no safe place or dark corner where their beliefs will be allowed to flourish.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference that his government has made investments to ensure that its work is focused on recognizing the systemic discrimination that exists and on highlighting and naming Islamophobia.

He said there is more work to do and his government will partner with the Muslim community across the country to find out how to move forward.

Trudeau said the government will continue to fund initiatives to protect schools and places of worship of communities at risk. He added the Liberals will also continue to fight hate online and off-line, which will include more action to dismantle hate groups.

"There is always more to do … whether it’s protecting mosques and churches, synagogues with extra investments in security which is heartbreaking to have to do but is necessary, whether it's fighting online hatred, banning right wing extremist terrorist groups like the Proud Boys."

Zine said the deep roots of Islamophobia in Canada require more direct action on dealing with anti-Muslim racism in the country.

"There are networks of groups that purvey Islamophobia and Islamophobic rhetoric propaganda and discourses and a lot of those kinds of sentiments underwrite (Islamophobic) actions."

She said there are policies in place in Canada that create Islamophobic public sentiments including Quebec's ban on religious symbols, also known as Bill 21. It prohibits public-sector workers who are deemed to be in positions of authority, like public prosecutors and judges, from wearing religious symbols such as hijabs, kippas or turbans while at work.

Muslims are characterized as a particular kind of threat — including a demographic one — in the white supremacist and white nationalist circles, Zine said, and that thinking is in Canada too.

"The ideas that underwrite Islamophobia are tied to different kinds of ethno-nationalism, not just in Canada but abroad."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.

——

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press

Canada school board gets high marks for historic adoption of anti-Islamophobia program
Nearly 40,000 Muslim students can benefit from new policy

7/03/2023 Tuesday
AA



File photo








A Toronto-area school board has become the first in Canada to introduce an anti-Islamophobia program.

The Peel District School Board did its homework and found that about one-quarter of its 153,000 students – Kindergarten through Grade 12 in 244 schools – were Muslim.


“The launch of the strategy demonstrates the Peel District School Board’s commitment to ensuring that Muslim-identifying students feel affirmed and have a safe and inclusive learning environment,” the board said in an email interview with Anadolu.


The comments were gathered by Manon Edwards, the board’s communications manager.


The Peel board’s initiative received an A from the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).


“Peel District School Board is the first school board in Canada to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy of its kind,” NCCM Education Programs Manager Aasiyah Khan said in an email interview.


In fact, Khan said Peel might be the first in North America to create the program.


But changes like this do not happen overnight.


Former board trustee Nokha Dakroub (2014-2022) is a social worker and activist who had previously mentioned the danger of Islamophobia as it affects students.


In August, she said it was time to take concrete action, and at a board meeting that month, she put forth a notice of motion to create the anti-Islamophobia strategy. The idea was officially adopted at a board meeting in September of that year.


The following is the official record of the motion passed by the board.


“Be it resolved, that Peel District School Board commit to an anti-Islamophobia strategy. That staff report out on its efforts to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy, specifically provide information on what, if any, actionable items and accountability measures are in place, including plans to regularly provide this information to the broader community.”


“Be it further resolved, that the Peel District School Board mandates anti-Islamophobia training for all staff.”


The final version was adopted in January 2023.


“I’m very excited,” Dakroub told Mississauga.com news after the policy was passed.


It is called by the somewhat long-winded name “The Affirming Muslim Identities and Dismantling Islamophobia Strategy.”


Whatever you name it, Khan said it is a policy that was badly needed.


“In recent times, we (NCCM) have been getting almost one call a day in regards to incidents of hate, racism, or Islamophobia in schools,” she commented in the email.


“It is a very real problem that students, teachers and school staff face within the system and must be addressed. Schools should be the safest place for our students.”


Stripped down to its basics, the program instructs teachers and other staff how to deal with Islamophobia if it arises.


The plan, to be introduced over a four-year period, tackles Islamophobia through education created with community partners like NCCM, annual anti-Islamophobia training, staying in touch with Muslim groups and encouraging Muslim student associations.


“(It is) an anti-Islamophobia strategy that is created by and for those who are consistently impacted by direct or indirect forms of hate and racism within the school system,” Khan said.


The Peel board knows this strategy will be a great aid to its students who are of the Muslim faith.


“The Peel School Board realizes that Islamophobia impacts the experiences of our Muslim students, their families and our staff,” the board said. “As such, we strive every day to ensure the safety, well-being and mental health of our Muslim students and staff.”


The Peel board’s action is a big plus, but the NCCM knows there is no time for recess when it comes to schools.


“We will continue to work with school boards across the country to develop anti-Islamophobia strategies similar to that of the Peel District School Board; this is an important step in the right direction,” Khan said.

CANADA
Staff, students in this school board are learning about Islamophobia, but true test comes in real world

ISLAMOPHOBIA IS ALSO ANTI-SEMITISM 

IN MANY CASES, THE SAME TROPES ARE APPLIED 

BY WHITE RACISTS; 

SINCE ARABS ARE ALSO SEMITES 

ISLAMOPHOBIA IS ALSO ARAB/MIDDLE EASTERN FOCUSED.

Thu., October 14, 2021

Alisha Aslam, a 16-year-old high school student in northeastern Toronto, created a website and school resources to combat Islamophobia. (Craig Chivers/CBC - image credit)

Over the years, Nokha Dakroub has come face-to-face with racism and anti-Islamic hate during her work as a school trustee.

Among the most vivid incidents were a series of meetings at her Mississauga, Ont., school board in 2017, when protesters spewed Islamophobic comments and tore pages from a Qur'an in objection to a long-held policy granting Muslim students space at school for prayers.

This month, however, Dakroub is proud of a major, pioneering step the Peel District School Board (PDSB) is taking against those very sentiments: the board passed her motion to adopt an anti-Islamophobia strategy, which will include mandatory training for all PDSB staff.

"We need to continue doing work, through public education, to combat the elements of hate that exist in our society," she said.

Muslim students, teachers and educational leaders are among those working to make our classrooms more inclusive, but many say that the struggle to dispel Islamophobia is only just beginning and must expand to encompass everyone.

Amid an increase in hate crimes against Muslims across the country, including the targeted attack that killed four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ont., in June, Dakroub has noticed a positive shift toward fighting Islamophobia.

She believes Canada is slowly moving in the right direction and links this changing mentality to more Canadians acknowledging serious issues facing our nation, such as systemic racism against Black and Indigenous people.

"This is not going to be an overnight fix. We're not going to roll out a strategy in a few months and then all of a sudden declare that Islamophobia is over and we no longer have an issue. It's going to take time. It's going to take multiple opportunities of learning and unlearning," said Dakroub.

"Is it going to work? I think it will, because I strongly believe that education is the key to — and specifically public education is the key to — raising awareness and changing the world."

Not simply 'an issue for Muslims,' says student

The fact that the Peel board's decision is aimed at making a measurable difference at the classroom level "just hits personally," for Alisha Aslam, a 16-year-old student who lives in neighbouring Toronto.

"Nothing will happen until we try to change the places where we spent our lives the most — and for a lot of people, like me, that's the classroom." she said.

A member of the Ontario Provincial Youth Cabinet and passionate advocate who campaigns against discrimination both in school and in her northeast Toronto community, Aslam created a website and school resources to combat Islamophobia, including encouraging fellow students to speak up against it.

"I wanted to see change happening — not in the next few years, but I want to see it right now," she said.

The teen added however that Islamophobia "isn't just an issue for Muslims" to grapple with.

"This is really an issue for humanity and for all of us Canadians to solve."

Ongoing anti-racism training needed for all staff

Adopting an anti-Islamophobia strategy is a phenomenal idea for several reasons, according to Regina high school English teacher Aysha Yaqoob.

Naming Islamophobia is important in terms of specifically addressing anti-Islamic hate, she explained, and a dedicated strategy will help create safe spaces for Muslim students and staff.

"It's an idea that every school division across Canada needs to adopt," she said.

WATCH | How this Regina teacher builds a safe space for students to discuss race, biases and inequity:

Still, Yaqoob wants to see precise details of the strategy to come, especially around what mandatory training will look like.

"Some of the [anti-racism] training that is done … isn't really authentic or meaningful. It's very short and isn't ongoing. And so I'd hope that this training is something that's ongoing, that builds upon itself and that year-to-year, it's a mandatory training for all staff, not just teaching staff," she said.

It's also important to have Muslim educators leading the comprehensive training, she said, which must go beyond the surface of cultural celebrations, for instance.

"I would really hope and encourage that whoever is leading this initiative is someone who is Muslim, who can speak to incidents of anti-Islamic hate, Islamophobia and also do it in an authentic and meaningful way," said Yaqoob.

"Ongoing and anti-racist kind of training [and] anti-oppressive training within there, rather than just cultural diversity celebrations, which we're kind of used to here in Canada."

For many Canadians, the horrific murder of the Afzaal family brought to light a fact all too familiar for the Muslim community: Hate attacks are very common.

Since then, however, Yaqoob said she thinks there's been little action on the part of political leaders to fight Islamophobia.

"Non-Muslim folks were actually listening and understanding that this is a huge issue here in Canada.… That racism and systemic racism is deeply embedded within the very fabric of our nation here," she said.

Mere months later, though, "I'm not sure that I see much progress," she said.

"I don't know how much longer Muslim folks can wait if the consequences of anti-Islamic hate is our lives."

National Council of Canadian Muslims

This summer, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) released a set of 61 policy recommendations for all levels of government to take action against Islamophobia, including measures for Canada's education system.

The non-profit advocacy group developed the recommendations after holding consultation sessions with mosques, community groups and organizations representing Canadian Muslims across the country.

It's a key first step for all school districts and divisions to recognize Islamophobia as an issue that must be addressed and to follow through, like the Peel board, with adopting a strategy to combat it, according to Fatema Abdalla, the council's communications co-ordinator.

She recognized recent movement from two provincial education ministries on the issue, including Ontario earmarking some funding for school resources to raise awareness about Islamophobia and British Columbia's recent proclamation of October as Islamic Heritage Month, which also noted its commitment to creating "a K-12 anti-racism action plan with an anti-Islamophobia strategy."

The B.C. proclamation added that "teaching British Columbia's colonial history to children and highlighting local Muslim stories helps provide tools to tackle anti-Muslim sentiments and Islamophobia."

The NCCM is calling on all provincial and territorial ministries of education to make as "robust" a commitment as B.C., said Abdalla, who also emphasized the importance of taking a preventative rather than reactive approach.

"Some of the stories that we hear of what students and staff have experienced is really heartbreaking," she said. "We can't really be serious about tackling Islamophobia if we don't start with our education systems."

ISLAMOPHOBIA IN CANADA
Trudeau joins London march marking anniversary of deadly attack on Muslim family
Yesterday 5:40 p.m.

LONDON, Ont. — Relatives, community members and dignitaries called for an end to racism and Islamophobia on Sunday during an emotional tribute marking the one-year anniversary of a deadly attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont.

Video: Minister Hussen reflects on 1-year anniversary of Muslim family killed in London, Ont. attack

 

'Let's go beyond tolerance': Justin Trudeau on Islamophobia at 'Our London Family'

 memorial march

Leaders from the Muslim community and friends of the victims called on all levels of government for action to address Islamophobia.

Pleas for compassion and tolerance mixed with expressions of grief and mourning for the four people killed in what prosecutors have described as a hate-motivated act of terrorism.

Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, died after police say they were deliberately hit by a truck during an evening walk in London on June 6, 2021. The family's nine-year-old son was hurt, but survived.

Esa Islam, a cousin of the Afzaal family, said the attack has left a gaping wound in his heart.

"Last year, I would never be able to understand how all it took was one act of hatred to change my entire life," he said.

Islam made his remarks before hundreds of mourners who gathered at the football field of the high school his cousin Yumnah attended before her death.

"I miss being able to go over to their house and have fun conversations about Harry Potter with Yumnah," Islam said.

"I miss the simple things, the things we always take for granted until they're gone."

Maryam AlSabawi, a close friend of Yumnah, said she misses having lunch and going to the mall with her.

"I miss talking about our plans for the future," she said. "I just miss your presence, the sound of your laughter, the stories you would tell me and the 3 a.m. texts about the most random things."

AlSabawi said she has been struggling with sleepless nights, fear of trucks and an inability to go for walks.

"We didn't just lose you and your beautiful family, but we lost our sense of belonging, our sense of community, our sense of safety, our sense of self," the 16-year-old girl said.

"We even lost our innocence. The world isn't as kind as we had believed it to be."

She said she and a group of friends have started a group called the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia.

"The world placed the responsibility on our shoulders that would have crushed a mountain, but we will carry it because others haven't," she said.


The coalition organized the event and a march that took place in London on Sunday, where hundreds walked to the school of the London Islamic Centre.

"It's been a very difficult year for the Muslim community here in London," said Asad Choudhary, a former principal at the London Islamic Centre and youth mentor.

On top of organizing events to raise awareness about Islamophobia, the youth coalition has developed a lesson plan on the issue of Islamophobia, with the help of educators, for teachers to use in their classes in London, Ont.

"Essentially, it talks about what Islamophobia is, what happened on June 6, 2021, here in our city, and how do we support the combating of Islamophobia," he said.

"What the youth came up with is that people need to understand what a stereotype is, when people look at Muslims and that stereotype that ... comes forth, and that creates implicit biases, which creates hate."

Islam said politicians should follow their supportive words with action to prevent similar attacks in the future.

"I'm tired of not seeing action by the politicians that we elect to lead us, hearing them make unfulfilled promises and speak hollow words of sorrow," he said.

He singled out Ontario Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government for not committing to pass a law to fight Islamophobia and other forms of hate.

A bill tabled by the Ontario NDP earlier this year — called the Our London Family Act — would have established a provincial review of hate crimes and hate motivated incidents in Ontario.

The bill would also have designated safe zones around houses of worship, prevented white supremacist groups from registering as societies and established an anti-racism council that would provide input on government policies.

However, it was defeated shortly after being introduced.

The bill was created with the National Council of Canadian Muslims and follows recommendations put forward by that organization.

"Despite all of the promises we heard last year, one year later, it feels there's still an unwillingness by our elected leaders to take concrete action against ... Islamophobia," Islam said.

While Ford didn't attend the Sunday event, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra were among the attendees.

Trudeau said people should not ignore the reality that millions of Canadians are facing microaggression, discrimination and systemic racism every day.

He said the government has taken action to address hate and racism in Canada and added that there is more work to be done.

"On this day that we grieve, we also come together in commitment and resolve to make sure that tomorrow and next year, and all the days in the future, are also better," said Trudeau.

"The lives of three generations of the Afzaal family were taken by a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of terrorist violence."

He said his government has launched a new anti-racism strategy and a national action plan to combat hate and has allocated millions of dollars in funding to grassroots organizations, many led by Muslims, to combat hate.

"We're also launching a process to appoint Canada's very first special representative on combating Islamophobia," he said.

There are several other events planned to commemorate the first anniversary of the June 6 tragedy, including a vigil on Monday.

A 21-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder in the attack. The case has not yet gone to trial.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2022.

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press

Liberals begin search for special representative to combat Islamophobia in Canada

Eric Stober

© THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Geoff Robins

Thousands of people march against Islamophobia in memory of the Afzaal family in London, Ont. on Sunday, June 5, 2022.

The Liberal government will begin to search for a special representative to combat Islamophobia in Canada, the minister for diversity announced on the first anniversary of an attack that killed a Muslim family while they were out for a walk in London, Ont.

Ahmed Hussen, the minister of diversity, inclusion and youth of Canada, said Monday that applications are now open for the special representative, who will advise the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and offer recommendations.

"The special representative to combat Islamophobia will be the champion, the expert, the advocate and the adviser to the government on Islamophobia," Hussen said.

The new role was a key recommendation made by the National Summit on Islamophobia that took place in July 2021 following the deaths of four members of the Afzaal family who were hit by a truck on June 6, 2021. Only one member of the family, a nine-year-old boy, survived the attack.

A 21-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder in the attack. The case has not yet gone to trial.

Trudeau was present in the London, Ont., community on Sunday for a memorial marking the deaths.

“The lives of three generations of the Afzaal family were taken by a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of terrorist violence,” he said, noting that people should not ignore the reality that millions of Canadians are facing microaggression, discrimination and systemic racism every day.

Hussen said Monday that it was a "somber occasion" and that the new representative will "work tirelessly to combat Islamophobia."

The Liberals' 2022 budget included $1.2 million in funding for the role and Hussen said there will be a "transparent" process for selecting the representative.

Ottawa launches process to hire special representative on combatting Islamophobia

 – June 6, 2022

 

Speaking with reporters on Parliament Hill, Ahmed Hussen, the minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, announces the opening of the application process for Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia. He is joined by Liberal MPs Omar Alghabra and Iqra Khalid. The update comes on the one-year anniversary of a deadly hate-motivated attack on a Muslim family in London, Ontario. Four members of the Afzaal family died after they were struck during an evening walk by a pickup truck driven by a 20-year-old man. The family's nine-year-old son was injured, but survived.

Edmonton Muslim community leaders push policy changes to combat Islamophobia

Recommendations from national Muslim organization aimed at 3 levels of government

Stephen David Cook · CBC News · Posted: Jul 19, 2021 

Members of Edmonton's Muslim community spoke in support of the recommendations, including Al Rashid Mosque's director of communications Noor Al-Henedy. (John Shyptika/CBC)

The National Council of Canadian Muslims released policy recommendations aimed at combating Islamophobia Monday with news conferences held in several cities across Canada.

Various leaders in Edmonton's Muslim community spoke to reporters in front of the Sahaba Mosque in the Boyle Street neighbourhood about the urgent need for action. The city has become a focal point for Islamaphobic incidents in Canada, with multiple attacks on Muslim women wearing hijabs in recent months.

"The time for thoughts and prayers have passed," NCCM spokesperson Adil Hasan said. "We need to see concrete action and we need to see it now."

The recommendations are aimed at all three levels of government and include Criminal Code amendments for hate crimes, anti-Islamophobia strategies in provincial education, and municipal anti-racism campaigns. 

They come in advance of a national summit on Islamophobia on Thursday, which was called for by MPs in June following the attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ont.

• National Council of Canadian Muslims reveals anti-Islamophobia recommendations
• Ottawa announces dates for national summits on Islamophobia, antisemitism

One municipal-level recommendation is to invest in celebrating the local history of the Muslim community. 

Director of communications Noor Al-Henedy spoke Monday of the crucial role women played in establishing Al Rashid, Canada's first mosque, in the 1930s — and then saving it from demolition in the 1990s.

"And today we stand here and we're being attacked for simply having the audacity of wearing our hijab," she said. 

"What happened to our city?"

Al-Henedy said action needs to be taken today to combat Islamophobia and change the narrative.

"Because 20 years from now I don't want my daughter to look back and talk about Muslim women and this being our story. This cannot possibly be our story."

Habiba Mohamud said recent attacks have been the source of vicarious trauma for members of the Muslim community. (John Shyptika/CBC)

Hibaba Mohamud, the federal Liberal candidate for Edmonton-Griesbach, said the recent spate of hate-motivated attacks on Black and Muslim women affects the entire community.

• National Council of Canadian Muslims reveals anti-Islamophobia recommendations

She said victims had become housebound, unable to go about their daily lives out of fear. Mohamud spoke of the need for a national fund for victims of Islamophobia, one of the NCCM's federal recommendations.

She said Islamophobia is an endemic problem in Canada.

"It's a systemic problem and it needs a systemic solution to counter it."

The NCCM crafted the recommendations after receiving input from mosques and community organizations across the country, including the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities.

Its chair, Masood Peracha, said more co-ordination between the three levels of government — including when it pertains to law — would be beneficial.

"So that anything that is promoted at let's say federal levels can also flow through to the provinces and also to civic governments to the extent that it is appropriate."

Public places bylaw review

Another municipal recommendation aimed against violent Islamophobia is to pass street harassment bylaws with ticketing authority. The NCCM cited a recent step by Edmonton council as an example of the approach.

A motion passed unanimously in April calls for administration to work with the city's Anti-Racism Advisory Committee to review and recommend changes to the anti-bullying provisions of the public places bylaw. It will look at including in its offences section any harassment based on race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The results of the review are expected before the Community and Public Services Committee on August 11.

UK's largest Muslim body urges Conservative Party probe into 'structural Islamophobia' claims

The UK's largest Muslim body has called on the Conservative Party to launch an investigation into 'structural Islamophobia' within its ranks.

The New Arab Staff
26 February, 2024

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denied on Monday that his governing party tolerates anti-Muslim prejudice [Getty]


The UK’s largest Muslim group has written to the governing Conservative Party on Sunday demanding an investigation into claims of "structural Islamophobia" within its ranks.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said in a letter addressed to Conservative chair, Richard Holden, following "a week of inflammatory statements and Islamophobia from senior figures in the party".

The secretary general of the MCB, Zara Mohammed, said that anti-Muslim sentiment was "on public display this week", citing comments made by several Tory figures, including the former home secretary Suella Braverman, the former Tory party deputy chair Lee Anderson, and former prime minister, Liz Truss.

"Our view is that the Islamophobia in the party is institutional, tolerated by the leadership and seen as acceptable by great swathes of the party membership," Mohammed said in the letter.

It cited an anti-Muslim rant on GB News by pugnacious populist Anderson, who claimed that Islamists had "got control" of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the city of London.

Anderson had the Conservative whip withdrawn on Saturday after he refused to apologise for the comments.

Khan, a Muslim and a member of the opposition Labour Party, described the Ashfield MP's remarks as "pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred".

UK Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim bigotry 'soars due to Gaza War'

Assiah Hamed

The MCB letter criticised the Conservative Party for removing the whip from Anderson only after he refused to apologise for the inflammatory comments and not after he had made them.

The letter also cited Braverman's article last week in The Daily Telegraph, in which she wrote that "Islamists … are in charge", with Mohammed highlighting that the former PM had fallen into a "well-trodden Islamophobic path".

The MCB also condemned Truss's comments in an interview with the far-right commentator Steve Bannon, during which she claimed that a "radical jihadist party" could send someone to parliament, and remained silent when Bannon described the far-right figure Tommy Robinson as a "hero".

The MCB said in its letter that: "There is no radical Islamic party – this is false and Islamophobic to play to this trope of Muslims taking over."

The MCB had shared the letter with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to encourage Holden "to take this complaint seriously and take actions".

How Islamophobia aids and abets Israel's genocide in Gaza

Mariya bint Rehan

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denied on Monday that his governing party tolerates anti-Muslim prejudice.

In response to Anderson's comments, Sunak told the BBC: "These comments weren’t acceptable, they were wrong."

Asked whether his party has an Islamophobia problem, Sunak said: "No, of course it doesn’t."

Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of harbouring "extremists in his party".

Speaking to The Observer, Starmer said: "Whether it is Liz Truss staying silent on Tommy Robinson or Suella Braverman's extreme rhetoric, Rishi Sunak’s weakness means Tory MPs can act with impunity."

Islamophobia inquiry 'deliberately excluded' Muslim Tories

The New Arab Staff

In 2021, an investigation into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party found there was no institutional racism in the party, although the inquiry was criticised for excluding Muslim members.

The latest string of Islamophobic rhetoric came as anti-hate monitoring group Tell MAMA reported that anti-Muslim hate incidents in the UK more than tripled in the last four months, following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

UK
Islamophobia is Endemic in the Conservative Party
Adam Bienkov
24 January 2022

New allegations made by the Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani are the latest evidence of endemic Islamophobia in Boris Johnson’s party, reports Adam Bienkov

Boris Johnson on Monday announced that the Cabinet Office will investigate allegations of Islamophobia made by Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani against the Government.

Ghani alleges that a Government whip told her that she had been sacked from Boris Johnson’s Government in 2020 due to colleagues feeling “uncomfortable” about her Muslim identity.

The Conservative MP and prominent supporter of Johnson, Michael Fabricant, deepened the row on Sunday by making further inflammatory comments about Ghani.

Fabricant, who has previously faced allegations of Islamophobia himself, suggested that Ghanis’s claims “stinks”. He told Sky News: “For her to say that someone had said it’s because she’s a Muslim – I mean she’s barely someone who is obviously a Muslim. I had no idea what religion she is.”

Ghani’s allegations are just the latest in a long line of claims of Islamophobia levelled at the party and the Prime Minister himself.

Here are some of the key incidents that show how Islamophobia has become endemic in the Conservative Party.
Boris Johnson Called Muslim Women ‘Letter Boxes’

The Prime Minister has a long record of making bigoted comments about Muslim people and Islam.

In 2018, the then Foreign Secretary wrote a piece for the Telegraph comparing Muslim women to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”.

He wrote that “it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes”, adding that any female student who appeared at school or in a lecture “looking like a bank robber” should be asked to remove it.

There was a surge in hate crimes towards Muslim people in the UK in the weeks following his column, according to data compiled by the group Tell Mama.


‘A Sikh Man Standing Up for MuslimWomen Mattered in Exposing
Boris Johnson’s Divide andRule Dog Whistle Politics’
Hardeep Matharu


Boris Johnson said ‘Islam is the Problem’

In the wake of the London bombings in 2005, Johnson questioned the loyalty of British Muslims and insisted that the country must accept that “Islam is the problem.”

“It will take a huge effort of courage and skill to win round the many thousands of British Muslims who are in a similar state of alienation, and to make them see that their faith must be compatible with British values and with loyalty to Britain,” he wrote.

“That means disposing of the first taboo, and accepting that the problem is Islam. Islam is the problem.”

In particularly inflammatory comments he added: “What is going on in these mosques and madrasas? When is someone going to get 18th Century on Islam’s medieval ass?”
Boris Johnson said Islamophobia is ‘Natural’

In 2005, Johnson wrote in the Spectator magazine that he believed it was only “natural” for the public to be scared of Islam.

“To any non-Muslim reader of the Koran, Islamophobia – fear of Islam – seems a natural reaction, and, indeed, exactly what that text is intended to provoke,” he said.

“Judged purely on its scripture – to say nothing of what is preached in the mosques – it is the most viciously sectarian of all religions in its heartlessness towards unbelievers.”
Zac Goldsmith’s ‘Dog Whistle’ Campaign Against Sadiq Khan

In 2016, the then Conservative candidate for London Mayor Zac Goldsmith ran what some Muslim colleagues in his party labelled a “disgusting” campaign against Labour’s Sadiq Khan.

During the course of the campaign, senior Conservatives accused Khan of associating with supporters of ISIS, labelled him “radical” and even suggested that he supported Sharia law.

Goldsmith, whose campaign sent out leaflets to other ethnic minority groups falsely suggesting that Khan would put their family jewellery at risk, described the Labour candidate as a “real danger to London”.

On the eve of the election, an editorial by Goldsmith was published in the Mail with a headline urging Londoners not to hand victory to a party “that believes terrorists are its friends” – accompanied by a photo of a blown-up London bus.

This attempt to play on fears about Khan’s Muslim identity was pushed by senior figures in the party, including David Cameron and Theresa May.

Following criticism of the tactics, the current Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch dismissed them, posting on Twitter: “Why should Sadiq Khan get a free pass from hanging out with extremists just because he is a Muslim?”

Goldsmith was later made a life peer in the House of Lords by Boris Johnson.

Islamophobia Goes ‘Right Up to the Top’ of the Conservative Party

In an interview with me in 2018, the Conservative peer and former co-chair of the party said that Islamophobia goes “right up to the top” of the Tory Party.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who served in David Cameron’s Government, said that Islamophobia was “very widespread” in the party but was being deliberately ignored for electoral reasons.

In comments that echo those made by Ghani at the weekend, Baroness Warsi also said that she was told that her Cabinet colleagues felt “uncomfortable” with her presence in Government.

“I remember being told once in Cabinet [that] ‘colleagues are uncomfortable with the amount of notes you’re taking around the Cabinet table. You seem to take a lot more notes than anybody else’,” she said.

Later, when Baroness Warsi became a minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, one of her aides was taken aside by an official working for the Conservative Party and told to “keep an eye” on her due to unspecified concerns the party had.

At the time, Baroness Warsi’s claims were dismissed by Theresa May’s Government.

‘An Extremely Dangerous Precedent’Are the Conservatives Institutionalising Islamophobia?
Hamza Ali Shah

Anti-Muslim Content Shared By Conservative MP

The Conservative MP Bob Blackman faced no action from the Conservative Party after sharing an anti-Muslim article on Facebook.

Blackman shared the article headlined ‘Muslim Somali Sex Gang Say Raping White British Children “Part of their Culture”’ back in 2018.

The MP, who previously said that he had retweeted another anti-Islam post “in error”, later deleted his post and said that he regretted “any upset” he had caused.
Conservative Party Members Believe Racist Myths About Muslims

Anti-Muslim bigotry is widespread among Conservative Party members, a poll conducted in 2019 suggested.

Among other things, the YouGov poll found that of those surveyed: 

 

43% of Conservative Party members “would prefer to not have the country led by a Muslim” 

 

45% believe that “there are areas in Britain in which non-Muslims are not able to enter 

 

67% believe that “there are areas in Britain that operate under Sharia law” 

 

39% believe that “Islamist terrorists reflect a widespread hostility to Britain amongst the Muslim community”

Responding to the findings, Hope Not Hate’s campaign director Matthew McGregor said: “From the grassroots to the great offices of state, Conservative members buy into racist myths”.

An Endemic Problem

The above claims are just some of those that have been levelled against the Conservative Party in recent years. However, rather than take them seriously and work to solve the problem, both Boris Johnson and his predecessors have dismissed the issue and sought to attack those making allegations.

In the hours following Nusrat Ghani’s revelations, Johnson’s Government also sought to do this. The Chief Whip, Mark Spencer, identified himself as the individual alleged to have made the comments to Ghani and denied the allegations as “defamatory”. Downing Street also released a statement seeking to undermine her claims by saying that she had failed to make a formal complaint when she first raised the issue.

However, the fact that Ghani chose not choose to make a formal complaint is unsurprising, given that she says she was also warned that doing so would see her career destroyed.

Of course racism and Islamophobia exists in all parts of the public sphere. However, it is exactly this sort of dismissive reaction at the highest levels of Government which suggests that there is an institutional problem within the Conservative Party.

At the time of writing, it is still unclear exactly what the terms are of the Cabinet Office inquiry that has been launched into Ghani’s claims or how rigorous it will be.

The results of previous investigations into the party are not encouraging however.

The Conservative Party’s own 2021 investigation was critical of its handling of the issue and identified remarks made by Johnson and Goldsmith that were problematic. The report, produced by Professor Swaran Singh into how the party deals with discrimination complaints, found that there was “evidence of discrimination” in the Conservative Party, but that it was “not systemic”. It also specifically dismissed claims that the party was “institutionally Islamophobic”.

It remains to be seen whether this latest investigation will go any further.

THUMBNAIL Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions. Photo: Xinhua/Alamy

UK

Official review finds widespread Islamophobia in the Tory Party and failures to investigate internal allegations of racism

Prime Minister Boris Johnson who once compared women wearing burkas to letterboxes and bank robbers

A DAMNING report has identified widespread Islamophobia in the Tory Party as well as failures to investigate internal allegations of racism.

The long-awaited review into discrimination in the Conservative Party published today found that two thirds of all such complaints related to Islamophobia.

Report author Professor Swaran Singh said comments made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson comparing women wearing burkas to letterboxes and bank robbers gave the impression of being “insensitive to Muslim communities.”

Complaints were handled by an under-resourced and inadequately trained team that fell short of best practice, the report adds, saying an overhaul of the system was needed.

But the report said no evidence was found to suggest a problem of institutional racism in the party.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said the review fell short of acknowledging the root causes of bigotry among Tory ranks and fails to address structural Islamophobia.

The council pointed out that the 44,000-page report did not cover a YouGov poll by Tory members commissioned by Hope Not Hate that found that almost half of the membership believe Islam is a threat to the British way of life.

MCB general secretary Zara Mohammed said: “The investigation primarily deals with form over substance. Procedure is important, but it needs to be underpinned by dealing with the deep-seated issues of institutional racism.

“We hope that this is the starting point of the party’s own self-reflection.”

Hope Not Hate said Islamophobia in the Tory Party “runs much deeper” than the few case studies included in Prof Singh’s report. The campaigning group warned that “reforms to structures and processes will not be enough” without steps to address widespread Islamophobic views among the membership.

Anti-racism campaigners also criticised the review, saying it “downplayed the extreme levels of Islamophobia in the party.”

Stand up to Racism co-convener Sabby Dhalu said: “The fact that the governing party contains such levels of racism is an incredibly serious issue because of the direct effect on government policy and the prevalence of Islamophobia in society.

“These issues must be urgently addressed, and maximum pressure brought on the Tories to respect Muslim communities and listen to their experience.”

Labour’s shadow women and equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova described the report as “a damning indictment of the discrimination rife in the Conservative Party — and it goes all the way up to the Prime Minister.”

The independent review was set up in 2019 following a series of serious allegations of Islamophobia in the Tory Party.

Initially called to solely investigate Islamophobia in the party, the review was later widened — and, critics say, watered down — to cover all forms of discrimination, prompting criticism and whitewash concerns.

It has also faced criticism over its narrow remit, which unlike the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s probe into anti-semitism in the Labour Party, did not issue an open call for evidence from civic society beyond the party.

Tory chairwoman Amanda Milling said the party acknowledged failings in the complaints process and will begin work on implementing the recommendations.

Israel's war on Gaza linked to rising Islamophobia in Europe: report

The European Islamophobia Report 2023 found that Israel's ongoing war on Gaza has functioned as a 'geopolitical catalyst of anti-Muslim racism in Europe'.

The New Arab Staff
22 December, 2024

The report revealed that Israel's war on Gaza has led to an increase in Islamophobia across Western Europe [GETTY]

A report on Saturday has revealed that Israel's ongoing military actions in Gaza have led to a significant increase in Islamophobia across Europe.

The European Islamophobia Report 2023 looked at anti-Muslim sentiment in 28 European countries, finding that the war on the besieged Palestinian enclave had "functioned as a geopolitical catalyst of anti-Muslim racism in Europe".

The findings asserted that Islamophobia had manifested through "systemic discrimination, political rhetoric, media narratives, and societal attitudes", which was exacerbated by events like Israel's war on Gaza.

The report said the reaction of the European governments had "intensified Islamophobic rhetoric and actions", as well as framing pro-Palestinian solidarity as "terrorism" and challenging calls for a ceasefire.

It said that French President Emmanuel Macron's "pro-Israel" statements following the 7 October attacks had exacerbated institutional racism against Muslims.

To address the rise and awareness of anti-Muslim rhetoric, the United Nations General Assembly announced that 15 March would be the "International Day to Combat Islamophobia".

Of the 28 countries in the report, only Spain had observed the day in 2023.

The report also highlighted the role of far-right parties exploiting Islamophobia for political gains with the legal systems in countries like France and Finland passing policies targeting Islamic practices like banning religious attire and the media’s role in perpetuating Islamophobic stereotypes and narratives where Muslims are dehumanised.

Islamophobic hate crimes also increased in countries like Norway, Spain, and Greece highlighting an uptick in verbal and physical assaults on Muslims.

Muslim women wearing religious clothing, in particular, experienced discrimination in employment, education, and housing, the report said.

In Switzerland, its report noted that Muslim women, particularly those who wear hijabs, faced workplace discrimination and were blocked from advancing in their careers.

The report also highlighted the closure of several mosques and hotels in Bosnia and Herzegovina being built on land that was meant for mosques as a way of erasing the country’s cultural heritage.

The writer of the European Islamophobia Report 2023 called for "robust political, legal, and societal interventions to combat this pervasive racist phenomenon".

Justin Trudeau stands by appointee Amira Elghawaby, says she will continue fight against Islamophobia

Mon, January 30, 2023 

Amira Elghawaby is a human rights advocate and was just appointed as the representative to combat Islamophobia. (Simon Gohier/CBC - image credit)

The Quebec government is calling on the federal government to withdraw its support of Amira Elghawaby, the new representative to combat Islamophobia, only four days after she was first appointed.

This comes a day after her attendance at the sixth commemoration of the deadly mosque attack in Quebec City, honouring the six men who were killed in 2017 when a gunman opened fire just before 8 p.m. in the Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood.

Since her appointment on Thursday, the journalist and human rights activist has been pressured to clarify her position on Quebec's secularism law.

In 2019 she wrote a column for the Ottawa Citizen where she denounced the "anti-muslim sentiment" that surrounded the adoption of Bill 21 — which bans public servants from wearing religious symbols such as hijabs.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated his support for Elghawaby on Monday.

WATCH | Elghawaby wrote op-ed piece criticizing Quebec's secularism law:

Trudeau said that over the years, she has had the opportunity to consider the impacts of various pieces of legislature on the community — part of what makes her role important. He said Elghawaby was appointed because she knows the Muslim community well and can share their concerns.

"She is there to speak for the community with the community and build bridges," said Trudeau.

"Her job now is to make sure that she is helping the government and helping everyone move forward in the fight against Islamophobia."

Shaheen Ashraf, a board member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, says Muslim women and women of colour in leadership often face increased scrutiny and criticism.

She herself was "thrilled" by the appointment and said it's unfair to base an evaluation of Elghawaby on one editorial.

"There is no freedom of speech if these things can happen. [If] you're asked to resign just because of some comments you made against the Quebec government many years ago," said Ashraf.

She noted that many Muslim women naturally have strong feelings toward Bill 21 because it directly affects their ability to work in the public sector.

Courtesy of Quebec City

Jean-François Roberge, CAQ minister responsible for the French language, said Elghawaby has not properly apologized for her comments about Quebec. She "seems to be overcome by an anti-Quebec sentiment," said Roberge.

"All she did was try to justify her hateful comments. That doesn't fly. She must resign and if she doesn't, the government must remove her immediately."

In an interview with CBC's Quebec AM, Elghawaby said she has nothing to apologize for.

"The article in question actually provides the context in it," said Elghawaby.

"It was never meant to suggest that my opinion is that the majority of Quebecers are Islamophobic. I don't believe so. I was merely analyzing the polling numbers … [an] opinion piece is meant to cause people to think, to talk, to reflect."

WATCH | NDP leader says it's time to get to work fighting Islamophobia:

Elghawaby was present for the evening ceremony at the mosque alongside Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and the minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, Ahmed Hussen.

Premier François Legault did not attend.

Boufeldja Benabdallah, co-founder and former president of the mosque, thanked politicians for their presence while pointing to the premier's absence at a ceremony which included reflections on the problem of Islamophobia.

"We have just one thing to ask of you," said Benabdallah, referring to Genevieve Guilbault, CAQ deputy premier. "Talk to Mr. Francois Legault and tell him: 'You have to come.'"

Rachel Watts/CBC

Guilbault took to the podium and said Legault wished he could be there.

On Monday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet requested an "urgent meeting" with Elghawaby, saying her actions were "more divisive than unifying."

The Liberal opposition critic for immigration, francization and integration, Monsef Derraji, agreed that it is not good to starting a new mandate with the declaration that Quebec has an issue with Islamophobia.

The Parti Québécois is not calling for Elghawaby's resignation, but Joël Arseneau, the Parti Québécois transportation critic, says they are questioning Trudeau's decision.

"She's made several declarations showing prejudice against Quebec society and we don't think it's a good start for someone who wants to bring people together," said Arseneau.

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesperson for Quebec Solidaire, said it's important to fight against racism in an inclusive way and the statements Elghawaby made were "hurtful to Quebecers."

"That being said, the Legault government has done nothing — nothing in four-and-a-half years — to fight Islamophobia so I think they should look at themselves and make a little more effort to work against Islamophobia because it's not an issue on which they are very credible," said Nadeau-Dubois.