Recent Coverage
Attacks against Canada’s Muslims spike after Danforth shooting
By Victor Ferreira
National Post | August 1, 2018
Less than 24 hours after Faisal Hussain opened fire in Toronto’s Greektown, a middle-aged white man approached a visibly Muslim family at the city’s ferry docks, pushed two men and screamed: “Where the f— are you from?”
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In the wake of the Danforth shooting, there’s been a spike in hate-related incidents targeting Muslims across Canada, according to the National Council of Canadian Muslims. Although the average number of recorded incidents between April and June was 1.5, the Muslim council says ...
Canada’s criminal code doesn’t mention ‘hate crime’ — so how do we hold people accountable?
By Maham Abedi
Global News | July 20, 2018
A 38-year-old Muslim father is in hospital after being beaten in what police are investigating as a “hate-motivated crime.”
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Leila Nasr, who works with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), explained to Global News that it’s important to remember these numbers offer a limited perspective into the issue.
“The numbers we might actually be seeing from police regarding hate crimes in Canada, it might just be a small fraction or the tip of the iceberg of what we’re actually seeing in reality,” ...
Attack on Muslim man in Mississauga appears to have been motivated by hate: police
By Nicole Thompson
The Canadian Press | July 18, 2018
An attack in southern Ontario that sent a Muslim man to hospital appears to have been motivated by hate, police said Wednesday, as his family tried to come to grips with the incident.
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The incident has drawn the attention of various Muslim groups, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
“We are extremely appalled by this horrific assault and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, their family and the local Muslim community,” Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the council, said ...
‘Hate is alive here’: Wife of beaten Mississauga man speaks out after attack
By Shanifa Nasser
CBC News | July 18, 2018
It was supposed to be a peaceful summer evening outdoors with friends, but things took a frightening turn when a Mississauga, Ont., father of two was severely beaten in what Peel Regional Police confirm they are investigating as a hate-motivated crime.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a statement Wednesday that it condemns "in the strongest possible terms the brutal assault," and called on authorities to prosecute those responsible "to the fullest extent of the law in order to send a strong ...
Canadian Muslims face anxiety, uncertainty about crossing U.S. border
By Maham Abedi
Global News | June 30, 2018
Muslims living in Canada often fear discrimination crossing the border into the U.S. — and some say that fear has increased under the administration of President Donald Trump.
This week, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s travel ban, which applies to predominantly Muslim-majority countries, wasn’t discriminatory.
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Leila Nasr, who works with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), told Global News that the organization has heard from several people who don’t know what the ruling ...
Quebec judge once again suspends application of province’s religious neutrality law
By Giuseppe Valiante
The Canadian Press | June 28, 2018
Quebec’s law banning people from covering their faces when receiving or giving a public service cannot enter into force until it goes through judicial review because of the irreparable harm it will cause Muslim women, a judge ruled Thursday.
It is the second time since December a Quebec judge has suspended the controversial section of the province’s religious neutrality law, which is being challenged in court by a national Muslim group and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Khalid Elgazzar, ...
Anti-racism advocates fear Edson mosque arson is part of Islamophobia trend
By Hamdi Issaw
StarMetro Edmonton | June 18, 2018
EDMONTON — A fire at a mosque in Edson on Saturday night has Alberta’s Muslim population concerned about rising anti-Islamic sentiments in the province.
On Sunday, Edson RCMP announced it was investigating the incident as an arson.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims has registered the fire as an “anti-Muslim incident” on its website, which tracks and maps similar incidents across the country. The website recognizes the Edson incident as the 10th in Canada this year, and the fourth in ...
Air travellers from Middle East, Africa, Caribbean more likely to face secondary inspection
By Glen McGregor
CTV News | May 31, 2018
Airline passengers from the Middle East and countries where most people are black are more likely to face luggage searches or additional questioning by Canada Border Services agents than other travellers, a CTV News investigation has found.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims says the data confirm what it hears repeatedly from travellers -- that Muslims are subject to far greater scrutiny from security agencies, especially since the 9/11 attacks.
“We get calls every other day, almost, from Muslims -- both ...
Trump And The American Far Right Stoke Hate In Canada
By Nick Robins-Early
Huffington Post | May 23, 2018
President Donald Trump is changing not just American politics. Canadians are increasingly concerned that the president’s nativist and anti-Muslim rhetoric is emboldening hate groups in a Canada, which has long prided itself on multiculturalism and tolerance.
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“The number of far-right voices is increasing,” said Leila Nasr, a spokeswoman for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “They’ve become disproportionately loud.”
Community groups and anti-hate advocates want authorities to take a ...
New guidelines not enough to fix Quebec’s face-covering ban, lawyer says
By Jonathan Montpetit
CBC News | May 12, 2018
Quebec's new guidelines on religious accommodation have failed to ease concerns about whether Muslim women will be able to access public services — such as riding a bus — if they wear a niqab or burka.
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The National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association also denounced the new guidelines, saying in a joint statement they would do nothing to "fix a law that is, at its core, discriminatory and unconstitutional."
"Requiring Muslim women who wear the niqab to make an ...