Open Letter on Islamophobia to Canada and Quebec’s Political and Civil Leaders, from the Canadian Muslim Forum and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. January 27, 2021.

In a few days, Canadians will mark the fourth anniversary of the tragic Quebec City mosque massacre.  On January 29, 2017, a young man influenced by online hatred and racism entered the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City and opened fire on Muslim-Canadian worshippers.  When he was done, six Canadians were dead, and 19 more injured. 

Montreal, January 14, 2021  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is outraged by vague criticisms made by the Bloc Québécois (BQ) against new Transport Minister Omar Alghabra which amount to anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia. As reported by the Canadian Press, BQ leader Yves-François Blanchet said on Wednesday that “questions arise” from Mr. Alghabra’s former role as president of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF). Blanchet reportedly suggested that Alghabra was associated with "the political Islamic movement," but declined to accuse Alghabra of any specific wrongdoing. The CAF is a secular organization. CJPME considers such vague aspersions to be racist and Islamophobic against Alghabra, a Syrian-Canadian and Muslim.

Montreal, February 4^th, 2019 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) rejects Quebec Premier François Legault’s remarks last week, in which he effectively denied the existence of Islamophobia in Quebec. Last Thursday, in response to questions from reporters about designating January 29^th as a national day against Islamophobia, Legault stated: “I don’t think there is Islamophobia in Quebec, so I don’t see why there would be a day devoted to Islamophobia.” CJPME points out that there is no empirical support for Legault’s comments and calls on Legault’s government to take concrete measures to combat the growing problem of Islamophobia in the province. 

In late 2017, EKOS Research Associates conducted a national survey of Canadians to probe for religious discrimination, particularly Islamophobia, in Canadian society. The EKOS survey is accurate within 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.  (All survey data is available at http://cjpme.org/islamophobia)  Two months later, on February 1, 2018, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage released its M-103 report on religious discrimination in Canada.  The recommendations below synthesize the recommendations of the M-103 report with the survey findings released in parallel. 

Montreal, February 2, 2018  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and the Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) welcome the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s report responding to parliamentary motion M-103, “Systemic racism and religious discrimination.”  Both organizations are pleased to see how the report advances the discussion on religious discrimination in Canada in several keys ways.  However, both organizations are anxious to see how the recommendations will be implemented, and would like to see a clear action plan.

CJPME Factsheet, published Feb 01, 2018: This factsheet defines Islamophobia and explains how it manifested itself in Canadian society. It addresses the employment discrimination and integration barriers Muslim Canadians face today. Lastly, it covers the different efforts implemented by the Canadian government to impede its rise.

This position paper defines Islamophobia, and discusses the implications and manifestations of Islamophobia, as well as the way politicians should treat the issue. 

Montreal, February 17, 2017 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) urges Canadian MPs to support the motion M-103 condemning Islamophobia. This motion, put forward by the liberal MP Iqra Khalid, calls on the “government to condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.”  The motion also recommends the creation of a committee to study how to combat Islamophobia and other forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.  It also calls on the committee to gather hate crime data, and assess the needs for impacted communities.

Montreal, January 30, 2017  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is saddened and disgusted by Sunday night’s deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque that killed six and injured eight.  CJPME condemns the attack, and echoes suspicions that this attack was a terrorist incident motivated by hatred towards Muslims.  “The climate towards Muslims in Quebec has been increasingly hostile in recent years,” explained Thomas Woodley, president of CJPME.  “Quebec and national politicians have often fanned the flames of animosity and prejudice towards Muslims, and attacks like these are the tragic and inevitable result.”   

CJPME Political Blog, Nov 2, 2016 

Canadians can’t be blamed for missing the anti-Islamophobia motion that passed in parliament last week.  If you Google it, you won’t get a single hit in mainstream media: not in CBC, not in Postmedia, not in the Globe and Mail, nowhere.  In fact, when this piece is published, it may be the first media piece talking about Canada’s successful anti-Islamophobia motion.