Interfaith
Standing in alliance with other faith communities to make Canada safer for every individual.
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Interfaith
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) is committed to bringing Canadians together and cultivating positive dialogue in interfaith spaces. Ultimately, we have much more that unites us than divides us. We develop positive relationships with other faith communities and organizations and have long standing allyships with Sikh, Christian, Indigenous, and Jewish communities. We work together with a dedicated purpose of promoting mutual respect and good relations between communities and advancing common goals in the defence of fundamental rights and civil liberties.
The rise of Islamophobia and hate in Canada is unfortunately not monolithic. Despite the fact that the Muslim community has suffered terrible violence, including murders, within the past ten years, we recognize that other faith communities have also been targeted.
For example, after the horrific attacks in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life Synagogue, NCCM joined others in organizing rings of peace around synagogues in Canada:
What is noteworthy to recognize is that those who harbor Islamophobic views often harbor other racisms as well. The NCCM’s aim to improve interfaith dialogue is ultimately rooted in its mandate of combating hate. Our primary objective through interfaith work is to send a clear message to our government: that no Canadians of faith will tolerate hate, and that Canadians of different faiths will join together to stop it.
NCCM HAS SUCCESSFULLY PUSHED FOR:
- A multi-faith coalition of Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and many other communities that worked together to ban white supremacist groups.
- Making sure that our neighbours are supported in tough times – whether it was churches being attacked, synagogues feeling afraid, or gurduwaras at risk. We have much more to do, though.
- Ongoing engagement with various interfaith forums, whether the Canadian Interfaith Conversation or the federal Interfaith Caucus.
PHOTO: Ömer Faruk Yıldız
IMPACT STATS
1938
Was the year of the construction of the Al Rashid Mosque, the first mosque in Canada. The construction was led by a group of charismatic Lebanese Muslim women – but supported by their Christian and Jewish neighbours. Our history, since inception, is one of dialogue.
4.9%
Of the national population are proud Canadian Muslims (2021).
900+
NCCM Volunteers joined the Rings of Peace around local synagogues in Ontario after the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh.
We wanted to send a strong message – We’re Here For You.
A SNAPSHOT | OUR WORK
2021 - We Brought Together a Coalition
of Faith Communities to Successfully
shut down White Supremacist Groups
like the Three Percenters
of Faith Communities to Successfully
shut down White Supremacist Groups
like the Three Percenters
Our communities are still reeling from the incident that took place on September 12, 2020. On that day, a member of the Canadian community, Mohamed-Aslim Zafis, was ruthlessly killed in front of the IMO Mosque in Toronto by an individual with apparent links to a neo-Nazi group.
This attack did not happen in isolation. This attack was one in a long series of a chain of horrifying attacks on racialized communities in Canada. Faith-based communities, as well as racialized communities, have faced attacks on our homes, our places of worship, our children, and our congregants at the hands of white supremacist organizations.
We brought together a broad coalition of Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Black, Indigenous, and other communities to call on the federal government to establish a national action plan on dismantling white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups that threaten Canadians who are Black, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, or Sikh, amongst other communities.
And we continued to engage with all federal leaders as a coalition until we were successful in having many of the most dangerous groups banned.
2022 - We Brought Together Faith
Communities to Stand Against Bill 21
Communities to Stand Against Bill 21
NCCM brought together faith communities from across the country to take a united stand against Bill 21.
At our press conferences, we stood shoulder to shoulder with Christian, Jewish, Sikh, and other faith leaders to send a clear message: discrimination has no place in Canada.
Bill 21 continues to marginalize people of faith, forcing individuals—particularly Muslim women, Sikhs, and Jews—to choose between their careers and their religious identity.
But when injustice rises, so too does our collective resolve. We are grateful to all our allies who joined us, demonstrating that solidarity is more than words—it is action. Together, we will keep pushing until Bill 21 is repealed and religious freedom is protected for all.
OUR NEIGHBOURS ARE STILL AT RISK
A safe Canada means a Canada that is safe for everyone, regardless of faith or creed. Support our work to stand for a better Canada.
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