Question Period Note: Islamophobia in Canada

• Our government recognizes that Islamophobia in this country is a real and troubling fact, and we have taken concrete steps to address this issue.

• Since 2019, our government has committed over $200 million to combatting systemic racism, including Islamophobia, through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. Budget 2022 provided $5.6 million over five years, with $1.2 million ongoing to support the work of the Special Representative.

• Following the National Summit on Islamophobia in 2021, the Government announced its intention to appoint a Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. Following an open, transparent, and merit-based selection Governor in Council process, Amira Elghawaby was appointed as the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, beginning February 20, 2023.

• According to 2021 Census, after Christianity, Islam was the second most commonly reported religion in Canada, with nearly 1.8 million, or 1 in 20, people. Between 2001 and 2021, the number of those who reported being Muslim rose from 2.0% to 4.9% of Canada’s population.
• According to the most recent Statistics Canada release entitled Police Reported Crime Statistics in Canada, 2022, the number of police-reported hate crimes had a small increase (7%), from 3,355 incidents in 2021 to 3,576 incidents in 2022. This followed a 72% increase from 2019 to 2021. Hate crimes targeting a religion were down 15% in 2022 yet remained higher than the previous three years.
• Higher numbers of hate crimes targeting a race or an ethnicity (+12%; 1,950 incidents) and a sexual orientation (+12%; 491 incidents) accounted for most of the increase in 2022. Hate crime counts include both confirmed and suspected hate crime incidents. The majority of police-reported hate crimes were non-violent offences, primarily mischief.
• While more detailed data on the Muslim community is not yet available for 2022, data from 2021 indicates that the rate of police-reported hate crimes targeting the Muslim community was the second highest at 8 incidents per 100,000 population. Muslims continue to be among the most frequent targets of hate crimes against a religion, continuing trends from previous years.
• Our government has taken concrete steps to address racism and Islamophobia in Canada. In July 2021, the Government hosted a National Summit on Islamophobia, which identified ways the federal government could work with Muslim communities to implement federal anti-racism initiatives that specifically address Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence.
• In 2021, the Government declared January 29 as a National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.
• Following the National Summit, in January 2022, the government announced its intention to appoint a Special Representative on combatting Islamophobia. The Special Representative will serve as a champion, advisor, expert, and representative to the Canadian government, for the purpose of enhancing efforts to combat Islamophobia and promote awareness of the diverse and intersectional identities of Muslims in Canada. The Special Representative will collaborate with domestic partners, institutions, and stakeholders to support Canada’s efforts to combat Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hatred, systemic racism, racial discrimination, and religious intolerance.
• On June 6, 2022, Minister Hussen announced the Notice of Appointment Opportunity, which invited applicants to submit their candidacy for the new position of Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. The application deadline was July 06, 2022.
• Following an open, transparent, and merit-based Governor in Council selection process, Amira Elghawaby was appointed as the first Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, beginning February 20, 2023.
• The Special Representative is appointed by the Governor in Council, pursuant to paragraph 127.1(1)(c) of the Public Service Employment Act. They will report on results using their annual report. The annual report will be made public and available on Canadian Heritage’s website.
• To push back against religious discrimination, hateful rhetoric and racism at home, Budget 2022 provided new resources to support the new Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.
• The Special Representative will be an additional step in our government’s ongoing work through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to tackle Islamophobia in all its forms. Starting in 2019, our government committed over $200 million through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy.

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