ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Trudeau names Canada's first representative on combating Islamophobia

Share

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named Amira Elghawaby as Canada's first special representative on combating Islamophobia, who is tasked with aiding Ottawa in tackling hate as communities have urged the government to take action following violent attacks toward Muslims.

According to a statement from Trudeau’s office, Elghawaby will provide advice to the federal government in developing inclusive policies and programs and to support the government’s efforts in increasing public education and awareness around Islamophobia.

Human rights advocate and journalist Elghawaby was appointed following "an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process," according to the statement. She is also a founding board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

“Diversity truly is one of Canada’s greatest strengths, but for many Muslims, Islamophobia is all too familiar. We need to change that. No one in our country should experience hatred because of their faith,†Trudeau said in the press release.

Appointing a special representative was one of the recommendations made to the federal government coming out of a 2021 virtual National Summit on Islamophobia.

The summit, which had been long-called for by Muslim communities across the country, was hosted in the wake of the that killed four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ont. in June 2021. Organizations, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, have t to dismantle white supremacist groups and address online hate.

Filling this position comes just days before the anniversary of the Jan. 29, 2017, attack on a mosque in Quebec City, which has been designated a national day of remembrance and action against Islamophobia.

Islamophobia is defined as “racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear, or acts of hostility†against Muslims, according to Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. Statistics Canada shows that the number of police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslim people increased 71 per cent from the previous year

Elghawaby will be specifically tasked with advising Ottawa around policy-making and with “legislative proposals, programs, and regulations†that reflect the realities of Muslims in Canada, according to the press release.

As well, she will provide advice and guidance to ministers to “improve efforts to track and monitor incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and violence across Canada,†and promote “public awareness and understanding†of Muslim communities in Canada through events and commemoration.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

DEVELOPING

DEVELOPING Here's what we know about Israel's latest strike in Beirut

Smoke is rising over Lebanon’s capital of Beirut Friday after Israel’s military struck southern suburbs – a dramatic escalation in a year-long period of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

Stay Connected