Academics & Education

Canadian universities cancel speeches over speaker’s Hamas atrocities ‘celebration’ Ten days after the Oct. 7 atrocities, Hamdi spoke at an event where he told an audience to 'celebrate the victory' of the Hamas massacre which left over 1,000 Israeli[s] dead

(National Post) Concordia and Carleton universities have apparently cancelled speaking engagements featuring Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, over his comments celebrating Hamas atrocities during the terror group’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Hamdi spoke at Western University on Thursday and is […]

Crime

Montreal resident charged with inciting hatred and violence toward Jewish people The charge reportedly involves comments posted on social media days after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

(Montreal Gazette) A Montreal resident faces a criminal charge alleging he incited hatred and called for violence toward Jewish people beginning just days after Hamas carried out the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. The charge filed against Houssem Hammami, 37, became public […]

Clerics & Preachers

Quebec leaders want hate speech investigation into Adil Charkaoui The controversial imam gave a speech to a Montreal pro-Palestinian rally in which he called for the extermination of 'Zionist aggressors.'

(Montreal Gazette) The leaders of Quebec’s four main political parties are calling for well-known and controversial imam Adil Charkaoui to be investigated for possible hate crimes after he delivered a prayer calling for the extermination of “Zionist aggressors” during a pro-Palestinian demonstration […]

Academics & Education

Laval high school denies banning students who wear religious symbols However, Collège Citoyen de Laval says parents must file a 'religious accommodation' request if their child wears a hijab, for example.

(Montreal Gazette) Embroiled in controversy, a private high school in Laval says it has not forbidden students from wearing religious symbols — but it does require that parents request a “religious accommodation.” An online petition that collected 6,900 signatures over two days […]

Academics & Education

Muslim groups ask court to quash Quebec’s ‘discriminatory’ school prayer ban The ban violates 'the fundamental rights of minors and adults in terms of their freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, but also individuals' right of association,' the organizations argue.

(Montreal Gazette) Six Muslim groups are asking a Quebec court to declare unconstitutional a new provincial edict that bans religious activity in public schools. In a lawsuit filed this week, the groups asked Quebec Superior Court to “declare constitutionally invalid, inapplicable, inoperative […]

Law Enforcement

Montreal man arrested on suspicion he was planning to commit a terrorist act 18-year-old was arrested by RCMP after an FBI tip, on suspicion that he was planning a terrorist act and had discussed building explosives, police say.

(Toronto Star) An 18-year-old Montreal man was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion that he was planning to commit a terrorist act and had discussed building explosives. RCMP national security investigators in Quebec made the arrest after receiving information from the FBI. According […]

Crime

Anti-Islamophobia rep Amira Elghawaby says in London, Ont., she’ll continue to call out discriminatory laws Elghawaby was in London, Ont., where Afzaal family members were killed, on 1st stop of community visits

(CBC) A few weeks after apologizing for comments in a 2019 opinion piece, Canada’s anti-Islamophobia representative began an official tour of communities with a stop in London, Ont., where a Muslim family was killed in June 2021 in what police describe as a […]

Clothing

Naheed Nenshi says politicians play role in spreading Islamophobia The former mayor of Calgary says politicians can calm anti-Islamic tensions, but some choose to score political points instead.

(Montreal Gazette) Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi had some choice words for both federal and provincial politicians, who he says are capitalizing on anti-Islamic sentiment to score political points. Nenshi, the first person of Muslim faith to be elected as mayor of […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Anti-Islamophobia representative Amira Elghawaby apologizes for past comments about Quebecers Quebec government, Pierre Poilievre have called for Elghawaby's removal

(CBC) The federal government’s new anti-Islamophobia representative Amira Elghawaby apologized Wednesday for past remarks about the prevalence of anti-Islam sentiment in Quebec. Elghawaby, who was appointed the special representative on combating Islamophobia last week, made the remarks before meeting with Bloc Quebecois […]

Clothing

Justin Trudeau stands by appointee Amira Elghawaby, says she will continue fight against Islamophobia Quebec government wants federal representative to combat Islamophobia to resign, just days into her new job

(CBC) The Quebec government is calling on the federal government to withdraw its support of Amira Elghawaby, the new representative to combat Islamophobia, only four days after she was first appointed. This comes a day after her attendance at the sixth commemoration […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Trudeau announces Amira Elghawaby as Canada’s first representative to combat Islamophobia 'No one in our country should experience hatred because of their faith,' Trudeau says

(CBC) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of a special representative on combating Islamophobia that will advise the federal government on how to better fight discrimination against the Muslim community. Human rights activist Amira Elghawaby will be responsible for serving “as […]

Academics & Education

English-language school boards argue Quebec’s secularism law should not apply to them Lawyer for EMSB argues religious diversity is part of cultural DNA of boards

(CBC) English-language school boards argued before the Quebec Court of Appeal Wednesday they should be exempt from Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — because religious diversity is part of the cultural heritage of English schools in Quebec. “The examples […]

Academics & Education

Muslim women most affected by Quebec’s secularism law, Court of Appeal hears School board lawyer tells court only Muslim women have lost jobs due to Bill 21

(CBC) As the court challenge of Quebec’s secularism law — commonly known as Bill 21 — continues this week before the Quebec Court of Appeal, groups contesting the law argued Tuesday Bill 21 overwhelmingly discriminates against Muslim women. The Quebec government and several civil […]

Academics & Education

Hearings on constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law underway in Court of Appeal Opponents of law argue government's use of notwithstanding clause to protect law goes too far

(CBC) Opponents of Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — argued before the province’s Court of Appeal Monday that the CAQ government went too far in pre-emptively invoking the constitutional notwithstanding clause in order to protect the law from court […]

Academics & Education

McGill lecturer’s tweet calling execution of Iranian protesters ‘heartwarming’ sparks backlash McGill says it is looking into matter while petition gathers thousands of signatures online

(CBC) Red tape covered their mouths. Their hands were bound behind their backs. They were on their knees. That was the silent statement protesters wanted to make as they gathered in front of Montreal’s McGill University Thursday afternoon to demonstrate against online […]

Citizenship

Brown, Poilievre trade shots over niqab ban as Conservative leadership race heats up Patrick Brown says his Conservative leadership opponent has supported discriminatory policies

(CBC) Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown launched an attack Monday on his opponent Pierre Poilievre, accusing the Conservative MP of supporting “discriminatory policies” that target immigrants. Poilievre, the MP for the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton considered the front-runner in the race, pitched new […]

News: North America

Montreal man who tried to join ISIL to be released from penitentiary soon In 2017, Ismaël Habib was convicted of attempting to travel abroad to commit a terrorist act and giving false information to obtain a passport.

(Montreal Gazette) A Montreal man who was found guilty of attempting to leave Canada to join the terrorist group ISIL in Syria will be released to a halfway house or a psychiatric institution soon, even though the Parole Board of Canada still […]

Crime

Canada to appoint special representative on combatting Islamophobia 'Islamophobia is unacceptable,' says Canadian premier on 5th anniversary of deadly Quebec city mosque rampage

(Anadolu) Canada on Saturday announced its intention to appoint a special representative on combatting Islamophobia as part of the country’s anti-racism strategy, five years after a deadly mosque shooting in Quebec. “This year, on the eve of the five-year anniversary of this […]