Canadian officials, Muslim leaders call for action against Islamophobia

Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Federal officials marked International Day to Combat Islamophobia Saturday by calling on Canadians to push back against bigotry directed at the country’s Muslim communities. But one organization that defends the civil rights of Canada’s Muslim says not enough is being done to counter the rising tide of hate.

Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, issued a statement Saturday, saying Muslims in Canada face systemic barriers and are subjected to violence and discrimination. Islamophobia, she added, comes in the form of racism, stereotypes and hostility.

“In addition to individual acts of intolerance and racial profiling, Islamophobia can unfairly lead to viewing and treating Muslims as a greater security threat on an institutional and societal level,” she said.

Elghawaby touted actions the federal government has taken to tackle islamophobia, saying Ottawa has stepped up support for the Canada Community Security Program and Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy.

Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon issued a statement of her own Saturday, asking Canadians to resist engaging in bigotry. “From harassment to hateful words online, the recent rise in hostility against Muslims is not only unacceptable and devastating for the victims and their families, but it also undermines our strength as a country,” Simon said.

But the Canadian Muslim Forum says there needs to be more action than words. In an interview Saturday, Samer Majzoub, the group’s president, said Ottawa should implement “stronger hate speech (laws) and stronger interventions.”

The forum is also demanding that federal and provincial governments boost funding for security measures at mosques, educate people in schools and workplaces about Islamophobia and remove systemic discriminations from government institutions.

Majzoub points to Bill 21 — Quebec’s secularism law, which bans public employees like teachers and police officers from wearing religious symbols on the job — as one example of what he feels is discrimination enshrined in law.

In January, the Supreme Court of Canada announced it will hear a legal challenge of Bill 21 brought by several groups that oppose the law. The federal government has filed a notice to intervene in that case in defence of freedom of religion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2025.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press