Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Gatineau councillor apologizes for comments about Muslims Coun. Nathalie Lemieux says she'll step down from deputy mayor's post

(CBC) A Gatineau city councillor is apologizing for remarks she made last week about Islamophobia in Quebec, but maintains she’s been unfairly judged. In a French-language newspaper interview last week, Coun. Nathalie Lemieux said she didn’t believe Islamophobia exists in the province, and […]

Crime

As controversy swirls, François Legault concedes Islamophobia exists in Quebec 'Everything must be done to denounce and combat hatred and intolerance,' Quebec premier says

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault has clarified his controversial comments about Islamophobia, now saying such discrimination exists but that it is not widespread. In a statement Friday, the premier’s office said Legault meant to say that there isn’t an “undercurrent” of Islamophobia in Quebec. “Quebecers are open […]

Crime

Quebec doesn’t have a problem with Islamophobia, Premier Legault says 'It's voluntary blindness': Muslim leaders disagree with the premier's assertion

(CBC) Premier François Legault says there’s no need for a day devoted to action against Islamophobia — because Islamophobia isn’t a problem in the province. Legault made the comments two days after the second anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack, when the deputy premier, Geneviève Guilbault, said the […]

Children & Teens

Community leaders work to head off anti-Muslim backlash as Kingston terror arrests wind up political debate Groups want to send message that terror plot allegations have nothing to do with Islam

(CBC) Community leaders are working to calm fears and find ways to prevent an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant backlash in the wake of two arrests related to an alleged terrorist plot in Kingston, Ont. — yet the probe already has touched off a political […]

Children & Teens

RCMP charge Kingston, Ont., youth with terror-related offence after security probe 20-year-old man also arrested Thursday was later released without charge

(CBC) The RCMP’s national security team has arrested and charged an Ontario youth with a terrorism-related offence, the police force said Friday following an investigation in Kingston, Ont. Police have laid two charges against the young person, who is accused of knowingly facilitating a […]

Government & Politics

After 17-year deportation fight over alleged terrorism ties, Toronto man sues federal government for $34M Between 1999 and 2016, the government signed three security certificates naming Jaballah, all of which ultimately failed to stand up in court

(National Post) One of the longest-running national security cases in Canada has resulted in a massive civil lawsuit, as an Egyptian-born Toronto man is suing the federal government for repeatedly trying to deport him over alleged ties to the 1998 terrorist bombings […]

Academics & Education

Muslim academicians from US, Canada visit Turkey Turkish deputy foreign minister says Turkey closely following US investigation into FETO’s activites

(Anadolu) A group of Muslim academicians teaching at universities in the U.S. and Canada visited Turkey and attended a conference on Tuesday. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran also attended the conference, which was jointly organized by Turkey’s Center for Strategic […]

Children & Teens

New Muslim-focused domestic violence shelter planned for Calgary Growing numbers of Muslim women, refugees and immigrants fleeing abuse and violence, says charity

(CBC) Muslim women and children fleeing abuse could soon have access to a specialized shelter catering to their cultural and religious needs. While there are many organizations in Calgary offering services for Muslim women escaping domestic violence, there are no specialized shelters. […]

Banks & Banking

‘Everything I have done has always been above board,’ former mortgage lender tells fraud trial Omar Kalair faces numerous charges, including fraud, theft and laundering the proceeds of crime

(CBC) A man accused of misappropriating millions of dollars after his Shariah mortgage lending company went into receivership testified in his own defence in a Toronto courtroom, saying everything he’s done has always been “above board.” Omar Kalair, the former president and […]

Academics & Education

Aspiring teacher may leave Quebec if CAQ follows through on religious symbol ban New poll suggests Quebecers support ban on religious symbols for civil servants, including teachers

(CBC) Fatima Ahmad has been dreaming about becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. At age six, she wrote down the aspiration in her diary, along with two other options: doctor and artist. Ultimately, she chose teaching. “I love kids, […]

Academics & Education

Nearly two-thirds of Quebecers support public-sector ban on religious symbols, poll finds But when asked detailed questions about how to apply the ban, public opinion is more divided

(CBC) Most Quebecers are in favour of banning public-sector workers from wearing religious symbols, according to a CROP poll released ahead of the first legislative session under a Coalition Avenir Québec government. But a separate survey by Vox Pop Labs, conducted following […]