MEDIA ADVISORY: Community leaders across Canada to endorse new Charter condemning Islamophobia

Canadians troubled by rising number of anti-Muslim hate crimes and hate incidents

(Ottawa – June 30, 2016) The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a prominent civil liberties & advocacy organization, will be joined by community leaders, law enforcement, and elected officials, at simultaneous news conferences in six cities across the country to endorse the NCCM Charter for Inclusive Communities and to condemn all forms of Islamophobia.

A new survey disclosed by the Toronto Star today points to an “epidemic of Islamophobia” in Ontario. And across Canada, discrimination, hate incidents and stereotyping of Canadian Muslims is growing in frequency and intensity. The NCCM will call for action on the increasing number of incidents of Islamophobia across Canada.

WHAT: News conference to endorse Charter for Inclusive Communities and to condemn Islamophobia
WHO: NCCM representatives in Vancouver, Calgary, London, Windsor, Toronto, and Montreal will be joined by local politicians, law enforcement & civil society representatives, and community allies.
WHEN: Monday, July 4, 2016
TIME: 11:00 a.m. EST/MST in Calgary, Montreal, London, Windsor, Toronto;
9:30 a.m. PST in Vancouver
WHERE:
Vancouver – Royal Bank Room, YWCA Hotel, 733 Beatty Street
Calgary – John Dutton Theatre, Central Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE
London –  Labatt Hall, Covent Garden, 130 King Street
Windsor – Dieppe Gardens (Ouellette and Riverside)
Toronto –  Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham St.
Montreal – Sheraton Hotel, 555 McMilan Blvd, Montreal QC (room will be on main floor near entrance across from reception counter)

NOTE: Media professionals are kindly requested to check-in at the media registration desk at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the news conference. Each news conference will run approx. 40 minutes.
To book an interview, or for more information, contact:

Amira Elghawaby, Communications Director, 1-866-524-0004, 613-254-9704 or 613-407-3834; aelghawaby@nccm.ca

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