NCCM testifies on systemic racism & discrimination at Heritage Committee

On October 4, 2017, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage regarding its study on systemic racism and religious discrimination in Canada. The study emerged from the passage of Motion 103, which condemned Islamophobia in Canada and called on the government to undertake a study on how to address discrimination and racism in Canada.

Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee and Quebec Public Affairs Coordinator Eve TOrres testified before the committee about the rise of Islamophobia and the impacts of hate expression and discrimination on Canadian Muslims. The NCCM’s testimony provided several concrete policy recommendations to the committee, including:

  • Declaration: Parliament should declare January 29th as a national day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia in Canada.
  • Federal budget: The federal budget should be subjected to a diversity, equity and inclusion analysis to ensure spending decisions are tied to policy and the rationales that underpin them.
  • Agency: An Anti-Racism Directorate should be established within the Department of Canadian Heritage and it should be tasked with leading the development of a federal action plan against racism.
  • Enhancing accountability: The federal government should pass legislation requiring the public service to collect, analyse, act on, and report on disaggregated race data in order to identify disproportionate service provisions and detect signs of systemic discrimination.

Read the NCCM’s testimony to the Heritage Committee.