The National Council of Canadian Muslims published a list of 61 recommendations ahead of the summit on Thursday
Canada faces a “hatred crisis”.
This is announced by the National Council of Canadian Muslims, which published a list of 61 political recommendations ahead of a national summit on Islamophobia to be hosted by the federal government on Thursday.
“Whether we see churches being burned down, whether there is racism against blacks, whether it was of course the terrible terrorist attack in London, the problems with hatred and especially with Islamophobia were devastating,” said Mustafa Farooq, Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).
The NCCM says there has been more mass murders of Canadian Muslims in the past five years than in any other G7 nation that includes France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union in the same five years.
The NCCM says the National Summit on Islamophobia is not meant to discuss if there is a problem, but what we are ready to do to stop it and when.
“We need commitments and we need timelines,” said Farooq. “I think we need to see clear timetables to see how we look at education, how we look at public safety, how we make sure we set up spaces so that Canadians can talk to each other.”
Farooq says the limelight must also be on issues such as the challenges of online hatred, the criminal code and the remedies available for people who have been and continue to be affected by hate.
“I think these are all key elements that are explored in our recommendations,” he said. “And above all, I think the recommendations clearly indicate achievable results.”
Proponents like Farooq and the NCCM also want quick action. They say the waiting period is over and that list of recommendations has items that can be acted upon quickly; It is up to the different levels of government to decide to move.
“A special envoy on Islamophobia; the prime minister can set up an office tomorrow,” Farooq said. “At the provincial level, the Minister of Education can undertake tomorrow to specifically examine the development of a strategy against racism and anti-Islamophobia.
“And unfortunately, if no action is taken in a reasonable time, we are likely to experience more violence,” he said. “That is not acceptable and it would mean that the whole process would fail.”
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