Justice committee  Islam, I have heard from a number of people suggesting that what we need are community forums to talk about the importance of combatting Islamophobia and other forms of hatred. Do you feel that community forums, perhaps financed by the federal government, might be an effective tool?

Justice committee  You examined what you call the “disease”, and then you mentioned that there are many types of Islamophobia, which we realize. It could be regional. It could be ethnic. It could be religion- or sect-based. It could be any type or form. We are facing a big challenge. I know that the Muslim community is not alone.

Justice committee  When we started with the idea of studying anti-Semitism, I believed we should also study Islamophobia, not necessarily because they always go hand in hand, but because these are two of the most virulent forms of hatred presently in our society. What you have said to us today about the loss of a sense of belonging and the loss of a sense of safety is very powerful and is something that Parliament really must address.

Justice committee  First of all, I think what agitated him was that we were protesting for Palestine that day. However, I can say there was Islamophobia in it as well, because after the incident happened and the police arrested him, he was making racist comments to the other protester who was arguing with him earlier, saying, “Go back to your country” and making other racist comments.

Justice committee  Do you feel that justice was served through the court process, or do you feel that the same environment of hate and Islamophobia that led to this tragic act of terror still exists in Canada today?

Justice committee  Thank you very much. Next we have the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia. I understand that Maryam Al-Sabawi will be presenting on behalf of the group and that two others will also be available to respond to questions. I will be lenient with my time, because I understand you thought you had a bit extra.

Justice committee  Shaffni Nalir, who is the executive director of the Islamic Centre and Community Services of Toronto. Finally, representing Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia, we have Maryam Al-Sabawi, Dareen Shilbayeh and Hamza Omer. I will begin with the first person on my list and ask Omar Babili to start. You have five minutes, please.

Justice committee  Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on March 21, 2024, the committee is beginning its study of Islamophobia. In regard to avoiding audio feedback, I want to remind members and all meeting participants in the room of the following important preventative measures. To prevent disruptive and potentially harmful audio feedback incidents that can cause injuries, all in-person participants are reminded to keep their earpieces away from all microphones at all times.

Canadian Heritage committee  Talking about anti-Palestinian hate in Canada and other forms of hate such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia is hugely important. As far as I'm concerned, that should be one of the Liberal minister's priorities. Otherwise, that tells you how much the Liberals prioritize Canada's anti-racism strategy and the serious work required to address the issue.

Canadian Heritage committee  If withdrawing the motion and re-presenting is not an option, then perhaps the motion should say everything that's been said, because I think we all absolutely agree that the rise in anti-Semitism, the rise in Islamophobia and the rise in anti-Palestinian racism are all things we have to address in the report. I'm assuming the strategy addresses all of that or will speak to it. We should have the opportunity to review the report before the minister comes.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think it's pretty clear that this is problematic, especially given the rise of hate in our country in terms of anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I don't think it's acceptable to wait until this strategy that we've been waiting for for quite some time to come out. As I've indicated, I'm very concerned that a number of advocates and stakeholders, including Palestinian Canadians, have concerns that anti-Palestinian racism is not being considered as part of the strategy.

Canadian Heritage committee  Putting a stop to racism and hate in our country is critical. That includes anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Chinese racism, anti-Black racism, anti-indigenous racism. Canadians, regardless of their background, should feel safe, and the federal government has a lot of work to do. However, what shocked me about the anti-racism strategy is the government's steadfast refusal to acknowledge or define the racism experienced by Palestinians in Canada.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It was a motion to combat all types of systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia, in our country. It was an attempt to build bridges between communities. Unfortunately, a Conservative leadership race was ongoing at the time and the members of that leadership race started to, through the use of alt-right media, first off, legitimize the concept that I was bringing sharia law into the country, and that this was not a non-binding motion, but a first step—a bill.

Justice committee  Of course, we did that study because we recognized that Islamophobia and antisemitism existed in our community.

Justice committee  The aim is to help address, prevent and raise awareness on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We created a Jewish student affairs liaison, providing the Jewish community at McGill with a direct channel to the university's senior administration to request support, report incidents or provide resources.