Canadian Muslims want concrete action to combat Islamophobia and hate crimes, as well as a ‘principled stance’ on Israel’s war on Gaza, says Reem Sheet of the National Council of Canadian Muslims
Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada
As the country’s federal election enters its final stretch, Muslim Canadians are making it clear that they want the next government to do more than merely acknowledge Islamophobia, calling for decisive action to combat it.
The grim statistics underscore the dangers Muslims face in Canada, a country that, as of 2024, held the unfortunate distinction of experiencing the highest number of targeted killings of Muslims among G7 nations.
Among these incidents was the killing of six Muslims at a Quebec mosque in 2017, and the deliberate murder of four members of a Muslim family, run down by a truck in London, Ontario, in 2021.
Despite these harrowing events, the critical issue of Islamophobia has struggled to find substantial space in the political discourse leading up to the April 28 elections.
US President Donald Trump’s erratic policies – ranging from harsh reciprocal tariffs to threats of annexing Canada – have largely sucked up all the oxygen in the room, leaving little room for discussions around combating hate crimes and protecting minority rights.
However, Muslim advocacy groups remain determined to keep Islamophobia on the agenda.
According to Reem Sheet, an official of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), which has approximately 200,000 supporters among Canada’s 1.8 million Muslims, the stakes have never been higher.
In an interview with Anadolu, she emphasized the urgency of concrete policy actions that Canadian Muslims expect from political leaders.
“Canadian Muslims are looking for real commitments on issues like a national strategy to combat Islamophobia, concrete action on hate crimes, and a clear stance on global human rights, especially when it comes to Gaza,” said Sheet.
She pointed to the disturbing developments south of the border, where Trump’s administration has openly targeted pro-Palestinian activists with deportations and entry bans. Many Canadian Muslims view these developments with anxiety, concerned that similar actions could gain traction domestically if not decisively countered.
“We are seeing what’s happening with the Trump administration across the border with horror … That means we must fight hard to make sure those ideas don’t take root here, whether we’re talking about Muslim bans, the annexation of Gaza, or other dangerous attacks on civil liberties,” said Sheet.
Original Publication
Anadolu Ajansi
