Canadian officials, Muslim leaders call for action against Islamophobia
By Canadian Press on March 15, 2025.
MONTREAL — Canadian officials and Muslim leaders are marking International Day to Combat Islamophobia today, calling for Canadians to push back against hate directed at the country’s Muslim communities and stand up for their rights.
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.
Elghawaby also 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 amid what she called a recent rise in hostility against Muslims.
But in Montreal, Samer Majzoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum, said he wants to see the federal government crack down on hate speech directed at Muslims.
He also wants to see Ottawa intervene against Quebec’s secularism law, which bans public employees like teachers and police officers from wearing religious symbols on the job.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2025.
Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press
10-9
And hate speech directed at Jews? If you are going to crack down, do it with equality, for all, not just Muslims!
We have seen terrorist funded protesters on our streets and campuses screaming for genocide of the Jews, burning our Canadian flag and even calling for death the Canada . . . as well as saying “We are Hamas” . . . I am all for ending hate speech, but it must go full spectrum!
As a Christian, I watched Christian prayers removed from schools, while special space was made in those schools for Muslim students to pray.
Go after all those who foment hate speech! Come to Canada, enjoy our country, share your culture, but do not come here to cause strife or conflict please. Or radicalize online or on campus and revolutionize campuses and our streets!
I worked in countries where we had to listen to Muslim prayers several times a day over loud speakers . . . I respected them, their culture, their country!
Canada was the best country in the world for several reasons, but hate, division, and bad leadership has destroyed it in the last 8 years . . . Why run from conflict, just to create it here? Yes, many Muslims are born here in Canada . . . but some of those began to support Hamas, and expose their hatred for Jews. We do not need that conflict here . . . living together in peace was what made Canada so great, with all of its diverse cultures!
Quebec has its own serious issues that go far deeper than their secularism laws . . . but I won’t bring that into this . . . McGill university has been a hotbed of hate-speech which broke criminal code laws, but nothing was done, all against Jews, Canadian Jews and Canadians.
I am angry nothing was done and I applaud Trump in this one case for cutting Columbia University funding and arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student activist, who graduated and breached conditions of his green card and is set to be deported . . . I say Canada should be doing the same! I do not agree with many other Trump policies, but do with this!
We do not need anymore strife or conflict in our country and those who live here should be trying to find ways to unite, not divide the peope with hate that destroyed so many other nations in the world . . . that is what made Canada great at one point . . . our unity and respect for each other!