Source: CBC – Page 3 – Eye on Islamism

Canadian Muslim charity wins ‘milestone’ settlement after being falsely accused of funding terrorism Islamic Relief Canada reached settlement in suit against Thomas Quiggin, others who admit claims 'unfounded'

June 9, 2023 Shanifa Nasser

(CBC) One of Canada’s largest faith-based charities has won a settlement over a set of publications that falsely claimed it was a “front” to fund terror groups abroad. Islamic Relief Canada reached the out-of-court settlement earlier this month in a lawsuit against Thomas […]

Appeal court overturns ruling directing Ottawa to repatriate 4 men detained in Syria Federal Court of Appeal says the 'right to enter Canada is not a right to be returned to Canada'

May 31, 2023 Darren Major

(CBC) The Federal Court of Appeal has overturned a high-profile ruling ordering Canada to bring home four Canadian men detained in northeastern Syrian prisons for suspected ISIS members. In January, Federal Court Justice Henry Brown ruled the four men were entitled to […]

Canada received assurances from Kurdish authorities it can repatriate 5 Canadians from Syria: lawyer 2 Canadian women and 3 children were detained and mistreated, say their lawyers

May 4, 2023 Ashley Burke

(CBC) A lawyer representing five Canadians held in a detention camp in northeastern Syria says he’s been given assurances the federal government will repatriate them, but doesn’t know when that will happen. The two Canadian women and three teenage girls were supposed […]

TDSB trustees vote to develop strategy to combat Islamophobia Staff to present update on the strategy to trustees in the fall

April 27, 2023 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The Toronto District School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy, becoming the second board in Ontario to move forward with such an effort. The move follows a motion that said internal data shows Islamophobia is the second-most reported form of “creed-based […]

Quebec bans use of classrooms as prayer spaces Allowing prayer spaces in schools against secularism laws, says education minister

April 20, 2023 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Quebec’s education minister officially prohibited schools from transforming classrooms into prayer rooms Wednesday, as announced two weeks ago. “Schools are places of learning, not places of worship,” said Bernard Drainville. The guidelines put out by the Education Ministry say that “the […]

Five detainees set to return from Syria held and mistreated by guards instead, lawyer says Lawyer said Global Affairs Canada confirmed the women's whereabouts after missing for 11 days

April 18, 2023 Ashley Burke

(CBC) Two Canadian women and three teenage girls who were set to be repatriated from camps for family members of ISIS suspects in Syria were instead detained and mistreated by their Kurdish guards rather than being taken to their pick-up point, their […]

Repatriation of Canadian women and children detained in Syrian camps underway, says lawyer Government has not yet confirmed repatriation has started or said how many are returning

April 5, 2023 Ashley Burke

(CBC) Multiple Canadian women and their children are on their way back to Canada after spending years held in camps for ISIS suspects and their families in northeastern Syria, according to their lawyer. Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told CBC News that some of his clients […]

Ottawa asks court to dismiss ruling directing it to repatriate 4 men detained in Syria Is the Canadian government under a legal obligation to repatriate four men detained?

March 27, 2023 Ashley Burke

(CBC) The federal government says the Federal Court of Appeal should dismiss a high-profile ruling ordering Canada to bring home four Canadian men detained in northeastern Syrian prisons for suspected ISIS members. Government lawyers told a Toronto court that the Federal Court […]

Mothers in Syrian detention camps given ‘cruel’ choice to keep children or send them to Canada: advocates Repatriation coming any day for 29 Canadians. Government won’t say if 4 non-Canadian moms coming, too

March 23, 2023 Meghan Grant

(CBC) More than two dozen women and children held in northeastern Syrian detention camps are due to arrive on Canadian soil any day, but the fate of 10 of those children is unknown after their mothers were given the “cruel” choice of […]

PC candidate says controversial posts she shared ‘not consistent’ with her views Donalda Docherty shared posts about face-covering bans, COVID and climate change

March 22, 2023 Kerry Campbell

(CBC) A Progressive Conservative candidate running in the Prince Edward Island election is taking heat over some of her past posts on social media. Advocacy group BIPOC USHR (which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour United for Strength, Home, Relationship) […]

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

March 20, 2023 Rebecca Zandbergen

(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 […]

Intelligence watchdog investigating CRA following Islamophobia claims CRA division is tasked with making sure registered charities aren't being used to finance terrorism

March 14, 2023 Catharine Tunney

(CBC) One of Canada’s intelligence review bodies has launched an investigation into the Canada Revenue Agency’s work on charities in response to allegations of bias and Islamophobia. On Tuesday, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) — the watchdog set up to monitor the activities […]

Student seen ripping pages from Qur’an ‘a concerning incident of Islamophobia,’ says Ontario school board Video circulating on social media appeared to show boy tearing pages and crumpling them

March 10, 2023 Sara Jabakhanji

(CBC) Students at a high school east of Oshawa, Ont., are taking their concerns to the school board after a video appearing to show a student tearing up pages from a Qur’an and crumpling them up began to circulate last week. School […]

Apology following dispute during school’s culture day falls short, say protesters Students faced racism at Park West School, say Palestinian supporters

March 6, 2023 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Dozens gathered outside the Department of Education building on Brunswick Street in Halifax on Monday to protest what they call anti-Palestinian racism at a local school. Family members of students at Park West School and local advocacy groups say some students […]

Family member says student at Halifax school was told to remove traditional scarf on culture day Halifax Regional Centre for Education acknowledges 'incident' but denies ban

March 5, 2023 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Some family members at Park West School in Halifax along with local advocacy groups are planning protests after they say children were told they couldn’t wear a traditional Palestinian scarf for the school’s culture day. The school principal and the Halifax […]

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

February 1, 2023 Peter Zimonjic

(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 […]

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

January 30, 2023 Rachel Watts

(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 […]

This school board just became the 1st in Canada to adopt a strategy to fight Islamophobia Policy comes after difficult history with anti-Muslim sentiment in recent years

January 26, 2023 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Six years ago, a school board west of Toronto was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Security had to be stepped up after racist outbursts at board meetings, a man was filmed tearing pages out of a Qur’an during discussions […]

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

January 26, 2023 Peter Zimonjic

(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 […]

Court orders government to repatriate 4 Canadian men detained in Syria 4 men, including Jack Letts, being held in prisons for suspected ISIS members

January 20, 2023 Darren Major

(CBC) The Federal Court has ordered the government to repatriate four Canadian men currently being held in northeastern Syria. The Canadians are among a number of foreign nationals in Syrian prisons for suspected ISIS members that are run by the Kurdish forces […]

Interest-free, but not without charges: Islamic mortgages hit the Canadian housing market Financial products are being adapted to match the unique needs of many Muslims

December 21, 2022 Anis Heydari

(CBC) For Abdullah Mohiuddin, getting into the housing market involves more than just locating the right home for the right price. Like many other Muslims, Mohiuddin’s religious beliefs include restrictions on paying and receiving interest. Given that a typical Canadian mortgage includes interest […]

Independent agency probing CSIS after claim that operative smuggled teenage girls into Syria Minister of public safety requested independent review in September

November 24, 2022 Ashley Burke

(CBC) An independent government agency is reviewing how Canada’s spy agency handles human sources after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised in August to follow up on claims that an ISIS member who was also working as a CSIS operative smuggled three British teenagers into Syria in 2015. The three […]

Quebec Court of Appeal to evaluate whether secularism law unfairly targets Muslim women Questions over the hijab dominated throughout hearings

November 16, 2022 Steve Rukavina

(CBC) As arguments wrapped at the Quebec Court of Appeal Wednesday for the legal challenge to the province’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — the panel of judges hinted that the case hinges on whether the bill disproportionately discriminates against Muslim women who wear the […]

School board admits mistake using ‘Free Palestine’ as example of violence in dress code Advocates from London's Palestinian community say they were hurt to see the slogan in new guidelines

November 16, 2022 Isha Bhargava

(CBC) The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) is facing criticism for using the slogan “Free Palestine” as an example of a label on clothing that could incite violence. The example appeared in guidelines outlining the new dress code for students. It sparked complaints from community […]

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

November 9, 2022 Steve Rukavina

(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 […]

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

November 8, 2022 Steve Rukavina

(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 […]

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

November 7, 2022 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

Crown to seek ‘terrorism peace bond’ against B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter Kimberly Polman has been detained for 3 years at al-Roj Syrian detention camp for families of ISIS fighters

October 26, 2022 Jason Proctor

(CBC) A provincial court judge will hold a bail hearing Thursday morning for a B.C. woman who returned to Canada this week after years spent in Syria as the bride of an ISIS fighter. Kimberly Polman made a brief appearance in Chilliwack provincial […]

2 women arrested in Canada after coming home from Syrian camp for ISIS fighters’ families 2 women and 2 children were repatriated from northeast Syria, Global Affairs Canada confirms

October 26, 2022 Ashley Burke

(CBC) Police have arrested two Canadian women and charged one with terrorism-related offences after the federal government repatriated them from a detention camp in Syria for ISIS fighters’ family members. The RCMP said it arrested Oumaima Chouay on terrorism charges Tuesday night […]

At least 2 Canadian women and their children returning from ISIS detention camp Source said they've learned Canadian Kimberly Polman has left the camp

October 25, 2022 Ashley Burke, Margaret Evans and Stephanie Jenzer

(CBC) At least two Canadian women have left a detention camp in Syria and will be arriving in Canada on Wednesday morning, CBC News has learned. The women left the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria — which holds women allegedly tied to […]

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

October 7, 2022 Unlisted Author

(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 […]

Former head of Alberta Human Rights Commission sues government for firing him Collin May seeking $2.1M in damages and lost salary for alleged wrongful termination

October 4, 2022 Elise von Scheel

(CBC) The man recently fired from the top job at Alberta’s Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is suing the provincial government, specifically the justice minister, for what he alleges was a wrongful termination, malicious treatment and collusion that led to his removal from […]

Justice Minister Tyler Shandro asks Alberta Human Rights Commission chief to resign 28 Muslim organizations called on Shandro to act

September 12, 2022 Paige Parsons

(CBC) Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has asked Alberta Human Rights Commission chief Collin May to resign, responding to concerns raised by more than two dozen Muslim organizations. In July, May came under fire following the resurfacing of a 2009 book review he wrote that critics say highlighted […]

Trudeau defends CSIS after U.K. author claims agency informant smuggled girls into Syria PM says the government will probe the claims and expects intelligence agencies to follow the rules

August 31, 2022 Murray Brewster

(CBC) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood behind the country’s top civilian intelligence agency on Wednesday in response to an allegation that one of its contractors helped traffic three British teenage girls to Islamic State extremists seven years ago. A new book by U.K.-based writer Richard […]

Couple accused in 2013 plot to plant bombs at B.C. Legislature sue police John Nuttall and Amanda Korody were freed after a B.C. Supreme Court judge found police entrapped them

August 30, 2022 Rafferty Baker

(CBC) John Nuttall and Amanda Korody, who were the subject of a lengthy RCMP terror investigation in 2013, are suing several members of the investigation team, the federal prosecutors in their case, and the governments of Canada and British Columbia. The lawsuit […]

Winnipeg council candidate asks voters to accept he’s grown since he issued hateful tweets Omar Kinnarath issued misogynist, homophobic and antisemitic tweets he now calls horrible

July 28, 2022 Bartley Kives

(CBC) A Winnipeg city council candidate says he takes full responsibility for posting misogynist, homophobic and antisemitic content to social media a decade ago and wants voters to know he has changed. Omar Kinnarath, a community organizer vying to unseat incumbent councillor […]

Alberta’s human rights commission chief under fire for Islamophobic book review Opposition NDP justice critic calls for Collin May's resignation for review written in 2009

July 16, 2022 Mrinali Anchan

(CBC) Community groups are condemning the appointment of the new chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission and Tribunals, following the resurfacing of a 2009 academic book [review] in which he made Islamophobic comments. Calgary lawyer Collin May began his new five-year […]

Quebec’s premier rejects multiculturalism as province celebrates Fête nationale Quebec separatists have long slammed Canada's multiculturalism policy, expert says

June 24, 2022 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Maram Makhlouf, a Grade 6 student, moved to Quebec from Germany about three years ago and on Thursday she was in a Montreal park with her family celebrating the province’s national holiday, or Fête nationale. She said the day is “really important to […]

Western’s move to take down anti-homophobia post could do harm, says gay Muslim Instagram post showing two women in hijabs about to kiss stirred fierce backlash

May 24, 2022 Andrew Lupton

(CBC) Shawn Ahmed is a gay Muslim who wishes Western University had been able to withstand a thunderstorm of criticism about a post on their Instagram account that featured an illustration of two women, both wearing hijabs, about to kiss. “I can […]

Entire southeast Alberta school district getting day off for Eid al-Fitr next year Brooks high school students advocated for change in school calendar

May 2, 2022 Jennifer Dorozio

(CBC) On Monday, like every other year after a month of fasting for Ramadan, Hikma Musa will skip class to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. She is among many students at Brooks Composite High School who are marked absent while they are with family and […]

Intelligence agency needs to keep a closer watch on extremism in prisons, report says Authors of internal review call out ‘lack of coverage’ of people convicted of terrorism

April 29, 2022 Catharine Tunney

(CBC) Canada’s spies could be doing a better job of investigating extremism in the prison system, says an internal report. The document, obtained through an access to information request, emerged from a behind-the-scenes review of how the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the […]

Calgary man pleads guilty to terrorism charges after fighting as ISIS sniper in Syria 'I didn't know any better,' says Hussein Sobhe Borhot, who will be sentenced later

April 28, 2022 Meghan Grant

(CBC) A Calgary man has pleaded guilty to terrorism offences, admitting to a kidnapping during a year-long stint fighting as a trained sniper with ISIS in Syria. Hussein Sobhe Borhot, 36, pleaded guilty to participating in terrorist activities outside Canada and committing […]

National Muslim charity launching legal challenge of CRA audit, calling it Islamophobic Ottawa has pledged to address Islamophobia within the federal government

April 13, 2022 Nick Boisvert

(CBC) A national charity that describes itself as Canada’s largest grassroots Muslim organization is launching a Charter of Rights challenge against the Canada Revenue Agency, claiming that a years-long audit of the charity has been tainted by bias and Islamophobia. The Muslim Association […]

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

March 14, 2022 John Paul Tasker

(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 […]

Calgary mother freed from ISIS detention camp now under investigation for terrorism, war crimes: court docs Defence lawyer says RCMP should not be monitoring and investigating the woman

January 12, 2022 Meghan Grant

(CBC) A Canadian woman who was held for two years at an ISIS detention camp in Syria is now under investigation for terrorism offences and war crimes. However, her lawyer has suggested RCMP officers are exploiting their powers by both monitoring and investigating the […]

Canadian medical journal to retract letter calling hijabs ‘an instrument of oppression’ Letter from pediatric surgeon in Canadian Medical Association Journal drew immediate pushback

December 23, 2021 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The interim editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Thursday said the publication is formally retracting a letter it ran about hijabs that many have slammed as Islamophobic. Kirsten Patrick’s announcement comes days after she posted on Twitter, apologizing for the letter, which called the religious […]

School board says it erred in hiring Chelsea, Que., teacher removed from duties because of Bill 21 Board did not know teacher wore hijab when it hired her

December 14, 2021 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The interim chair for the Western Québec School Board says the school board made a mistake in hiring Fatemeh Anvari, the Chelsea, Que., elementary school teacher who had to be removed from her position under Quebec’s secularism law because she wears […]

Fake mosque on Canadian Forces base in Alberta raises concerns for Muslim community 'It's very concerning to think about such a mosque ... on any armed forces base'

December 10, 2021 Stephen David Cook

(CBC) As Mahmoud Mourra was out hunting on the prairie in southern Alberta, he came across a familiar sight in an unfamiliar location: the dome of a mosque, replete with minaret and crescent symbol. Only the mosque was not real. It was part of […]

Canadian woman freed from ISIS detention camp reunites with daughter in Canada She does not face charges, but a peace bond imposes restrictions on her activities

November 23, 2021 Murray Brewster

(CBC) A Canadian woman who was held in an ISIS detention camp in northeast Syria has arrived back in Canada to reunite with her five-year-old daughter — who was allowed to leave ahead of her last spring in the company of a former U.S. […]

Mother of Canadian girl freed from ISIS detention camp in Syria heading to Canada soon Woman may return to Canada as early as next week, lawyer says

November 12, 2021 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The Canadian government has issued an emergency passport to the mother of a young girl who was freed from an ISIS detention camp in northeastern Syria earlier this year so she can return home to Canada and reunite with her daughter. “It’s […]