Canadian Muslims demand legislation against Islamophobia

The National Council of Canadian Muslims has called on the provincial government of Ontario to take measures, including legislation, to curb acts of hatred against Muslims. The measures include changes to the educational system so children can better understand Islamophobia, said Nadia Hasan, the chief operating officer of the Council. “We also need to see […]

The National Council of Canadian Muslims has called on the provincial government of Ontario to take measures, including legislation, to curb acts of hatred against Muslims.

The measures include changes to the educational system so children can better understand Islamophobia, said Nadia Hasan, the chief operating officer of the Council.

“We also need to see the dismantling of white supremacist groups in the province by preventing them from registering as societies,” Ms. Hasan said.

The Council also urged the Ontario government to hire more minorities in the public service as well as set up a hate crimes accountability unit that investigates failures in combatting hate incidents. The calls for action came five months after four members of a Muslim family were killed in London, a Canadian city in southwestern Ontario in what police alleged was an act motivated by hate.

Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, were killed while out for an evening walk on June 6.

The couple’s nine-year-old son, Fayez, was seriously hurt.

Nathaniel Veltman, 20, is accused of deliberately hitting the family with his truck. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in what prosecutors say was an act of terrorism.

More than a year ago, Mohamed-Aslim Zafis was stabbed to death as he volunteered outside the International Muslim Organization in Toronto in September, 2020.

Police have said Mr. Zafis was attacked at random and they could not discount that it was motivated by hate.

A 34-year-old man faces one count of first-degree murder in Mr. Zafis’s death.

“Our call is simple: No more violence,” Ms. Hasan said. “Our communities cannot wait until after the election for change, we are calling on all of our leaders – let’s work together to make change.”

Shannon Whitteker, spokeswoman for Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Parm Gill, said real solutions to address racism are needed urgently.

“Last week, in the fall economic statement, our government committed to providing nearly $10 million to new and enhanced initiatives to help address systemic racism and hate, including doubling investments in the Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant Programm,” Ms. Whitteker said.