Canadian Heritage committee  Absolutely. I think the Sikh community in particular is a community that has received a lot of attacks. Hindus have been attacked for being misrecognized as Muslim, so, absolutely. I want to make the point that Islamophobia I really do see as part of a broader problem of religious discrimination and systemic racism, and I really do think that if we address one issue to the detriment of another, then we will not have succeeded.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think it's a definition that has to emerge in consultation. The society comes up with it in consultation with the people who are being marginalized. If we think about how anti-Semitism is defined, some might argue that it's an imperfect term because Arabs are also Semites. Nevertheless, it has a particular definition.

Canadian Heritage committee  Absolutely. My work, my research, and my scholarship is about having self-critical conversations amongst Muslims, so intra-Muslim conversations that are self-critical. I am in no way interested in promoting a definition of Islamophobia that would restrict my own speech. Legitimate critique, in my mind, is not Islamophobic.

Canadian Heritage committee  I am pleased with the existing definition of Islamophobia. I don't feel that I would add anything to it.

Canadian Heritage committee  The Ontario Human Rights Commission appeared before this committee last week. I listened to the hearings, and the strategies they're offering seem really interesting to me. I can't think of particular things that I would like to see done, but I am really excited to see M-103 has been passed and that this committee has been struck to address these issues.

Canadian Heritage committee  It was reported on Global News. The number of hate crimes recorded in 2012 was 45, and in 2015 it was 159. I can send you the rest of the reference for that.

Canadian Heritage committee  I don't know what they encompass.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's whatever has been recorded by the police as hate crimes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Not that I'm aware of. That wasn't recorded in what I was looking at.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think the polls show that things are worse, not better, if we look at the report on hate crimes between 2012 and 2015. There are a few reasons that I started with my story. One, and this is something that has been brought to the committee before, is that it's important to analyze data in the light of experience.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think a lot of definitions of Islamophobia have been floating around. Dr. Jasmin Zine has a great definition of Islamophobia when she talks about widespread ideological and systemic expressions of Islamophobia. It's based on the fear of Muslims, but it's not restricted to a hyperbolic fear of Muslims.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you, Madam Chair and honourable members, for inviting me to appear before this committee to speak about systemic racism, religious discrimination, and Islamophobia. I'd like to begin by acknowledging that we are meeting on the traditional unceded territories of the Algonquin Nation.