Evidence of meeting #107 for Justice and Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was islamophobia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
With all due respect, Madam Chair, I would say that there was no agreement on this format. That's what you indicated you would do, but the format under our rules is two one‑hour periods.
That said, I don't want to spend an hour on this. I'll be satisfied with the five minutes of speaking time you're giving me, but I'm just telling you that in all fairness, speaking times should be reset after the first hour.
Liberal
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
That's fine, I don't want to waste the committee's time. There's only three quarters of an hour left. So I'll make do with the five minutes.
Liberal
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
You told me you'd give me five minutes. Is that five minutes or two and a half?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
I didn't get the committee's consent to give you five minutes. So you now have two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
All right. I'm going to end this discussion, but we'll resume it, Madam Chair, if you don't mind. Thank you.
Mr. Islam, in your opinion, could the various current problems be solved if we ensured that all government stakeholders held secular viewpoints, that is, that the government managed the affairs of state without showing preference for one religion or another on Canadian territory?
I would ask you, if possible, to answer me in 30 seconds, since time is running out.
As an Individual
No, I don't think that works. I think you may have seen some illustrations about equity and equality. If everyone is not starting at the same standing point, then everyone won't realize their full potential.
As an Individual
If you are a community that's marginalized, you're going to need—
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Islam, I apologize for interrupting, but there are only a few seconds of speaking time left.
If the state is not secular, what religion should the state favour? I suppose you're going to tell me it should be the Muslim religion. Either the state is neutral, or the state favours one religion or another. Which religion do you want the state to favour?
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
That is my question. It's the answer that has to fit the question.
I'm asking whether you think the state should be secular or favour one religion or another.
As an Individual
The government should be responsible for building cohesion and for stopping hatred. If you're forcing secularism and taking away people's rights, then—
As an Individual
—that's not secularism anymore. That [Inaudible—Editor] religion.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
You misunderstood me. I was talking about the state.
My time is now up. We'll resume the discussion another time. I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Thank you.
Mr. Garrison, you have two and a half minutes.
The clerk will explain to you, Mr. Fortin, how the minutes work.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I hope we don't continue our internal bickering at the expense of witness time.
I want to go back to the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia. We had very powerful personal testimony from Ms. Al-Sabawi, but we didn't get to hear as much as I would like to hear about the activities of the YCCI. I would like to give its representatives more time to talk about what they have been doing to combat Islamophobia.
Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia
I can touch on that.
What the YCCI focuses on is advocacy and making Muslim youth feel more empowered in their identities. It's advocacy in the sense of knowing your rights. Unfortunately, Muslim youth have to take that into their own hands now, and really, it's a responsibility that should not fall on their shoulders. Maryam mentioned that over and over in her talks, and it's unfortunately a responsibility that has been put on a few of us, people who are just trying to figure their way through life, just as all of you were at our age.
It's about empowering Muslim youth to know their rights, to be proud of their identities and to not be afraid of who they are and what they believe in.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Can you talk specifically about how you carry out the activity of making people unafraid and more proud?
Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia
There are a couple of aspects to what we do, one of them being creating environments where Muslim youth are surrounded by each other and feel supported.
Another aspect is legislation, policy and the work we do within education systems. We have created curricula within the Thames Valley District School Board, which is a great starting point nationally, to look into this, and we apply them so that responsibility doesn't fall on victims again and again. It's about education. Even in police training, we have input parts of the curriculum, which are now mandated in training. It's about standardizing education on anti-Islamophobia, absolutely.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Thanks very much for those specific examples.
I have very little time. Can you tell me if other communities have organizations parallel to the YCCI?
Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia
I am sure they exist. Are you talking specifically about youth combatting Islamophobia—