What is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia includes racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear or acts of hostility directed towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general. In addition to individual acts of intolerance and racial profiling, Islamophobia can lead to viewing and treating Muslims as a greater security threat on an institutional, systemic and societal level.
Islamophobia takes many forms ranging from bias and discrimination to harassment and hate. It also occurs on three key levels:
- System level
- Community level
- Individual level
Why It Matters to Brampton
Islamophobia negatively impacts the lives of the members of Canada’s diverse Muslim communities and those who are perceived to be Muslim. There are approximately 1.8 million people who Identify as Muslim in Canada, and for many, Islamophobia is a daily reality. Between 2016-2021, Canada was the G7 Nation with the highest number of targeted killings of Muslims among G7 nations (Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, 2023).
What the City/Country is Doing
The Government of Canada has launched various initiatives to combat Islamophobia including publishing The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada (2024). This guide is intended to support the objectives in Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028’ and ‘Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate (2024). The federal government created the role of a Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia with a mandate that includes enhancing efforts to combat Islamophobia and promoting awareness of the diverse and intersectional identities of Muslims in Canada.
How You Can Help
Combatting Islamophobia requires action from all orders of government, the private sector, media, public institutions including schools and universities, civil society organizations and everyday Canadians. Together, we can take steps to ensure Canadian Muslims can live lives of dignity and respect, free from harassment and discrimination.
