Canadian Heritage committee  Secondly, are you in agreement with the definition of the Toronto District School Board's definition of Islamophobia?

Canadian Heritage committee  Why are we holding this to a different level? I've tried to outline a working definition that can be used to help dismantle Islamophobia, and I've worked on educational projects with UNESCO and the Council of Europe on how we combat Islamophobia using a definition like this. The operational definition has been there, and it's been used in other national contexts.

Canadian Heritage committee  Nothing about studying Islamophobia and nothing about adopting some sort of anti-Islamophobia initiative would on its own curtail speech. At the same time, there is no constitutional principle in this country of unlimited free speech.

Canadian Heritage committee  It is also wrong to ask workers providing public services to participate in the violation of rights that are promised to every Canadian under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as provincial human rights codes. We must stand up against Islamophobia and categorically reject policies that discriminate against people of the Muslim faith. Racism and discrimination have no place in our unions, in our communities, or in our country.

Canadian Heritage committee  This question, by the way, relates to the fact that in Iran we've seen Baha'is accused of Islamophobia and Iranophobia. That's the reason I ask that question.

Canadian Heritage committee  As I mentioned, our survey results show that the discrimination and racism that Iranian Canadians face not only has roots in Islamophobia and xenophobia but also results from a specifically anti-Iranian sentiment that is informed by Iran's treatment on the international stage. Perhaps the most important instance of systematic discrimination affecting all Iranians today, including Canadians of Iranian heritage, is President Donald Trump's travel ban.

Canadian Heritage committee  The second point made by our colleagues from Newfoundland is that we have to involve the grassroots communities and consult with them, because a lot of the work is being done by them. The other aspect that has come out of your committee's deliberation is Islamophobia. What is the definition, what is the extent of it, and so on? I think there need to be grants to academic experts in universities to study this issue further, whether it's Islamophobia or racism and discrimination in general, to inform our policy-making with scholarly research that has withstood the test of peer review and so on.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. I think we like the definition of Islamophobia as proposed by the Ontario Human Rights Commission. I wrote it here. They define Islamophobia discrimination as “...stereotypes, prejudice, fear or acts of hostility directed towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general”.

Canadian Heritage committee  Sorry, I'm just going to pause there, because the motion is not just about Islamophobia. I think it's really important that we not just say that this is about Islamophobia. In the motion, it says “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination”.

Canadian Heritage committee  I believe it's important to focus on the word “all”, and I would appreciate it if, included in all the recommendations, we had “all ethnic communities,” “all minorities,” and “all sorts of racism”. It is the focus on the word “Islamophobia” that has me concerned, because many of you may not be aware that Islamophobia is a word that was created after 9/11 to stem any kind of critique, discussion, or debate about Islam and Muslims.

Canadian Heritage committee  However, human dignity depends on our unequivocal condemnation of these ugly values and we must speak out against them. Having said this, we are entrapped by the use of the term “Islamophobia”, which is not clearly defined. As I read and reread the text of motion 103, I can agree with the overall intent but without use of this term, because Islamophobia can and has been used to confuse the masses and stifle free speech.

Canadian Heritage committee  If this motion were to lead to a renewed culture of religious freedom, that would be praiseworthy. Point three, Islamophobia is a term, I suppose, that is meant to capture hatred of Muslims, which is rather straightforward to deplore. The question is whether Islamophobia includes a critical evaluation of Islamic doctrine in practice.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's simply this: if we used that definition to say that for the purposes of Canadian government action and the Parliament of Canada, that is what Islamophobia will mean, and nothing else, would that resolve the problem of a definition of Islamophobia for you?

Canadian Heritage committee  It exists, just as it exists with many other faiths. Let's talk about that, but let's remove the word “Islamophobia” and do away with all definitions.

Canadian Heritage committee  The government has the power to take action to protect people who are harmed by racism and Islamophobia, and we call on it to boldly do so. There is considerable scope for the government to develop positions, policies, and programs that promote inclusion and respect, especially for racial and religious minorities.