"As rightly pointed out by Amira Elghawaby, the federal government’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, this incident is a blatant attempt to portray Canadian Muslims and communal prayer as threatening and dangerous. Such content is undeniably Islamophobic and contributes to the growing climate of fear and hostility towards the Muslim community in Canada."
July 2, 2024
To:
Steven Zhou, Freelance Journalist
Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Dear Mr. Steven and Ms. Owens,
I am writing from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for your recent article : “Canada’s clownish anti-Muslim activists are still ginning up hate to earn a buck. This is the one good reason why can’t ignore their antics” published by Toronto Star on June 29, 2024.
I am a Muslim living in Montreal, and I am unfortunately scared to be living in a country where some Islamophobes think Canada is under “siege,” claiming that Muslims pose a threat to Canada and the West. As rightly pointed out by Amira Elghawaby, the federal government’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, this incident is a blatant attempt to portray Canadian Muslims and communal prayer as threatening and dangerous. Such content is undeniably Islamophobic and contributes to the growing climate of fear and hostility towards the Muslim community in Canada.
You write: “We are under siege. Not from Muslims, but from xenophobic voices who have for too long enjoyed impunity, tolerance, and a path into the Canadian mainstream,” and I couldn’t agree with you more.
I am a junior analyst with CJPME, and I have been consistently urging media outlets to correct their coverage on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. I have observed a troubling trend in media coverage where Islamophobia does not receive the attention it deserves. On June 20th, I sent a complaint to CTV News arguing that it is unfortunate that an article dedicated to reporting on the same Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian racism incident you talk about diverts attention to antisemitism, which already receives extensive coverage. Even when articles do report on Islamophobia, 1) the discussion often reverts to antisemitism or 2) the article’s framing (antisemitism contrasted with Islamophobia) suggests a conflict between Islam and Judaism.
I, therefore, thank you for shedding light on the increase in Islamophobic hate crimes without shifting the discourse. Please continue to publish such excellent pieces.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Junior Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East