Justice For All Canada Anxiously Awaits Action Plan on Domestic and Global Islamophobia​

Justice For All Canada (JFAC) commends the Government of Canada for organizing the National Summit on Islamophobia on Thursday, July 22nd, 2021. The anticipated consultative event garnered valuable insights and recommendations from diverse Muslim individuals and communities across Canada.

The organization also thanks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Members of Parliament, and Federal Ministers for expressing commitments to ending the escalating violent hatred and bigotry facing Canadian Muslims today.

"However, hate doesn't wait for summits and resolutions. A robust plan of action is long overdue and Canadian Muslims are anxiously waiting for the federal government, as well as provincial and municipal policymakers, to implement legislative actions now,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.

Justice For All Canada (JFAC) submitted policy recommendations targeting the proliferation of Islamophobia both globally and in Canada. The organization leadership was also in attendance at today’s virtual Islamophobia summit. As a global human rights agency, JFAC’s work raises awareness of anti-Muslim sentiment in Canada as a byproduct of global Islamophobic laws, policies and movements. The widespread discrimination of Muslim minorities in regions like India, Myanmar, East Turkestan (Xinjiang), Sri Lanka and more—all undoubtedly gives rise to hatred and intolerance at home and across North America.

What was glaringly missing from the summit was a mention of or recommendations related to Canada’s silence on or complicity in Islamophobic human rights violations and genocides impacting minorities around the world, as well as the direct impact on Canadian Muslims of foreign ideologies promoting anti-Muslim hate.

“It’s terrifying to think that the murder of the London Muslim family may not be the last time that the Canadian Muslim community will come under attack. It’s not clear what preventive actions exactly the government officials will commit to and by when,” said Ghayyur.

JFAC endorses the recommendations and actions presented by community and advocacy groups at the Islamophobia summit. It is pressing for tangible legislation and concrete actions arising from the government’s Islamophobia summit.

“This is a matter of life and death. We cannot afford another devastating incident,” added Ghayyur.

Islamophobia Policy Briefs

Islamophobia has heightened in Canada with a dangerous escalation of incidents such as vandalism of mosques and physical assaults on Muslims, including violence against Muslim women wearing the hijab.

We invite human rights defenders and the wider community to review Justice For All Canada’s comprehensive recommendations against Islamophobia in Canada and around the world.

28 Recommendations—Domestic Intervention Against Islamophobia

15 Recommendations—Global Islamophobia and Canadian Foreign Policy

CRA Targeting of Muslim Charities in Canada

In addition, we call on institutions like the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to implement mechanisms to support Canadian Muslim charities, instead of unfairly targeting them based on empty and unsubstantial claims.

This week, Justice For All Canada co-signed a 240-page submission to the National Action Summit on Islamophobia that called for:

• Immediate suspension of the CRA’s Review and Analysis Division (RAD)
• Placing a moratorium on RAD audits of Muslim charities
• Reviewing the division by National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA)
• Reversing the suspension on Human Concern International