Government & Politics

‘Crazy’ to consider releasing man who named Revelstoke dam as ISIS target into nearby community: mayor Othman Ayad Hamdan must meet a long list of conditions before being released into Enderby, in B.C.'s Okanagan

(CBC) Othman Ayed Hamdan named the Revelstoke Dam in B.C. as a potential target in a series of online posts praising ISIS and cheering on lone wolf attacks. Now, he may be released into nearby Enderby while he awaits deportation from Canada, […]

Academics & Education

When CSIS comes knocking: Amid reports of Muslim students contacted by spy agency, hotline aims to help Creators of University of Toronto-based student support line say spy agency often on ‘fishing expeditions'

(CBC) When Ramz Aziz received a nervous phone call from his mother-in-law two years ago, it wasn’t to check in on his new baby. Instead, two men were at her door, looking for him. The pair identified themselves as public safety officers, and […]

Children & Teens

Air Canada staff allegedly forced a 12-year-old passenger to remove her hijab Fatima Abdelrahman had already passed through security when they forced [her to] remove her hijab.

(Narcity) Canada’s primary airline is facing allegations of racial prejudice following a questionable security incident. Air Canada is being questioned by the family of a 12-year-old girl after staff allegedly pulled the girl aside and forced her to remove her hijab at […]

Clothing

Majority of Canadians disapprove of Bill 21, but Quebecers are in favour: poll A Forum Research survey of 1,733 people conducted from July 26-28 concludes 59 per [cent] of Canadian voters disapprove of the law

(Montreal Gazette) A new poll shows a majority of Canadians living outside Quebec do not approve of the province’s religious symbols law. But as other polls have revealed in the past, those living in Quebec say they strongly approve of Bill 21 […]

Government & Politics

‘Whitewash’: Hassan Diab attacks report concluding government acted properly in his extradition case Diab spent over three years in a French prison before the case against him fell apart

(CBC) Hassan Diab and his lawyer are accusing the federal government of perpetrating a “whitewash” after an external review, released today, concluded government lawyers acted ethically and followed proper procedures in extraditing him to France for a terrorism case that later fell […]

Clothing

Civil rights groups seek appeal of judge’s refusal to freeze parts of Quebec’s religious symbols law Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

(CBC) Two civil rights groups are seeking an appeal after a Quebec Superior Court justice refused their emergency request to temporarily freeze parts of the province’s new religious symbols law. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Canadian Civil Liberties […]

Crime

Hate crimes targeting Muslims in Canada down 50 percent in 2018, new data shows But experts say data doesn't paint a full picture, with about two-thirds of hate crimes never reported to police

(Middle East Eye) Hate crimes against Muslims in Canada were down 50 percent in 2018 compared to the year before, a new report by Statistics Canada has said. But a national advocacy group has warned about an uptick in hate incidents targeting religious institutions. […]

Clothing

Will federal leaders back the legal challenge to Quebec’s religious symbols ban with an election looming? Jewish group wants Ottawa to intervene after emergency injunction denied

(CBC) The Canadian wing of an international Jewish organization wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to send government lawyers to join the legal fight against Quebec’s secularism law. B’nai Brith Canada published an open letter Thursday after a Quebec Superior Court justice denied […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Federal labour board upholds public servant’s firing over social media posts glorifying terrorism Investigators found numerous Twitter posts — now deleted — where A.B. cheered on terrorism attacks, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing

(National Post) A federal labour board has upheld the 2015 firing of a Canada Revenue Agency employee who worked next to the Calgary airport and wrote frequent Twitter and Facebook posts that “appeared to glorify the Boston Marathon terror bombing, celebrate the […]

Clothing

Quebec’s religious symbols law passes 1st legal test as judge refuses injunction Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

(CBC) A Quebec Superior Court justice has rejected a request to temporarily suspend parts of the province’s new religious symbols law, though he did agree it raises “serious” constitutional questions. Justice Michel Yergeau said Thursday the court must defer, at this stage, […]

Academics & Education

Toronto recruitment centre stabber cleared by appeal court to attend college on his own Prosecutors argued the board's ruling gave too much consideration to Ayanle Hassan Ali's needs and too little to public safety

(Canadian Press) Ontario’s top court has upheld a decision allowing a man found not criminally responsible in a knife attack at a Toronto military recruitment centre to eventually take college classes on his own. The appeal court says the Ontario Review Board […]

Christians

Canadian Muslim group declines invitation to attend US summit on religious freedom Trump's Muslim ban cited as main reason not to attend the conference, says National Council of Canadian Muslims

(Middle East Eye) A prominent Canadian Muslim advocacy group has declined an invitation to attend an upcoming US government conference on religious freedom because of President Donald Trump’s travel ban of several Muslim-majority countries. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) on […]

Clothing

Montreal police removed Muslim woman’s hijab during search, Human Rights Commission says The Quebec Human Rights Commission says a Montreal police officer asked Aicha Essalama if she had any weapons on her, then removed her hijab and prayer robe without her permission.

(Montreal Gazette) Claiming a Montreal police officer removed a Muslim woman’s hijab and prayer robe without her permission, the Quebec Human Rights Commission is seeking to have the force ordered to update its search policies to better accommodate religious minorities. According to […]

Clothing

As fight over Quebec’s religious symbols law shifts to courts, legal experts debate best way to challenge it Bill 21 invokes notwithstanding clause, complicating how opponents can challenge law's constitutionality

(CBC) Quebec’s religious symbols law was not yet 12 hours old when it became the subject of a Superior Court motion seeking to have it struck down. On Tuesday, the motion, filed last month by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and […]

Employment

Majority of Canadians against accepting more refugees, poll suggests 76 per cent of respondents say Canada should do more to encourage skilled labour immigration

(CBC) A pre-election survey conducted for CBC News suggests Canadians are divided on immigration, with clear limits on the kind of migration they find acceptable. The government groups immigrants into three categories: economic, which are skilled workers and businesspeople, along with their […]

Clothing

Quebec premier shrugs off charge new religious symbols law makes Muslim women more vulnerable to racism François Legault skeptical of Muslims who say Islamophobia's on the rise in Quebec

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault says he doesn’t “really” believe Muslim women in the province who say they’ve been the target of Islamophobic incidents since the government passed a law making it illegal for some civil servants to wear religious symbols. Several Muslim […]

Academics & Education

Quebec federation of school boards says it will obey secularism law this fall The province's largest board has said it would hold consultations before banning religious symbols

(CBC) Quebec’s federation of school boards (FCSQ) says it intends on obeying the province’s new secularism law when classes resume in September. The move comes after the province’s largest school board, the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM), said it would not enforce the […]

Clothing

In Quebec’s secularism law, an Ontario police force sees a source of recruits Brampton, Ont., mayor calls Quebec law 'an affront to freedom of religion'

(CBC) An Ontario police force will launch a recruiting campaign targeting Quebec residents affected by the province’s new law on religious symbols. The Peel Regional Police, which covers territory including the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, will conduct a campaign in Quebec after a motion was passed unanimously […]

Academics & Education

MP Michael Cooper disparaged ‘goat herder cultures’ in 2008 law class discussion, lawyers claim Conservative MP denies allegation, says he's taking 'all necessary legal measures'

(CBC) Conservative MP Michael Cooper made comments deriding “goat herder cultures” during a discussion about Islam’s compatibility with Canadian democracy when he was a law student at the University of Alberta a decade ago, according to two lawyers who have come forward […]