Latest news with #AmiraElghawaby
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada's Islamophobia envoy says Mideast war is bringing back anti-Muslim tropes from 9/11
Amira Elghawaby, Canada's Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — Ottawa's special representative on combating Islamophobia says she's alarmed by a recent revival of decades-old tropes about Muslims supporting terrorist violence. Amira Elghawaby also said Canadians should not be reluctant to speak out for the rights of one group because of a fear of being accused of ignoring the plight of another. 'In a country as pluralistic and as diverse as Canada, we should be able to get this right,' Elghawaby told The Canadian Press. She said she's seen 'extremely troubling' instances of people being maligned for peacefully expressing support for Palestinians and urging that Israel be held accountable for its restrictions on aid in Gaza and the high civilian death toll in the enclave. 'The same types of narratives that we had seen and we talked about post-9/11 have been resurfacing over the past two years,' she said. 'We're constantly being viewed as engaging in, for example, what some politicians and columnists and media folks will call 'hate marches' when involved in any type of protests for Gaza.' She said that kind of commentary is a grim echo of widespread claims in 2001 that 'Muslims are quintessential violent radicals, that they must be surveilled and disciplined by the state.' Elghawaby said police forces tell her that most of the protests on the war in Gaza take place without hate speech or calls for violence. 'There is consensus across the board that hate speech targeting any community — whether it's Muslims, whether it's Jewish people, whether it's Indigenous, any community at all — has to be taken fully seriously, with consequences meted out,' she said. 'But the reality here is that it's wholly unfair to racially profile, to brand all people with the same accusations.' Elghawaby spoke to The Canadian Press after the sudden retirement this month of Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. Lyons left her post early, saying she felt 'despair' over of a growing gulf in Canadian society related to violence in the Middle East, and the failure of many Canadians to find common ground against hate. Elghawaby said that she and Lyons worked to reinforce 'the soul of Canada — a Canada where all of us, with all of our diversities, can belong and fulfil our fullest potential and feel safe to do so.' Elghawaby said she shares Lyons's fear that Canadians have 'a sense of concern about appearing to be, for example, favouring one community over another.' She said fighting hate means advancing the shared principle that everyone in Canada should feel safe to express their faith or political views without retribution. 'We do have rules and policies, and we have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we have human-rights codes that should help be our North Star on how we navigate a time of deep social challenge, when it comes to the rise of hate toward any community,' she said. But Elghawaby pushed back on Lyons's claim that some Muslims have been uneasy with seeing her work to combat anti-Jewish hate. Lyons told the Canadian Jewish News that she and Elghawaby tried to work together to counter hate, and had plans to visit provincial education ministers together. 'Neither my community, nor her community, were happy all the time to see us in pictures together,' Lyons said of Elghawaby. Elghawaby said she's not aware of Muslims opposing any of her work against anti-Jewish hate. 'I have had no pushback on condemning antisemitism. I have had very good conversations with members of Canadian Jewish communities,' she said. Elghawaby said many Canadians' discomfort with confronting the reality on the ground in Gaza is making it impossible to engage in 'good faith' dialogue about a path forward. 'Many Canadians of all backgrounds do believe that there is terrible oppression happening in Palestine, that there's an occupation,' she said. 'It's been described by human rights organizations as apartheid. Genocide scholars, and organizations have called what's happening now a genocide. 'If we are to have true dialogue, not being able to actually name the situation as it's being described ... by human-rights organizations and experts, it means that it's a discussion that can't be had in in fully good faith, because of the effort to almost make invisible or erase what various Canadians are seeing or describing for themselves.' While Elghawaby said she has no plans to quit before her term ends in February 2027, she acknowledged it's been 'very, very sad and difficult' to see the rise in hate. She said she told Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this month that his goal of attracting the world's top talent requires ensuring everyone in Canada 'feels supported, and that they are not going to be discriminated against and that their human rights will be protected.' 'The reason this office exists is because members of our communities have been killed in this country because of Islamophobia,' she said. 'This is life-and-death for our communities.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Lack of action on Gaza erodes Muslims' sense of belonging in Canada: envoy
Amira Elghawaby, Canada's special representative on combating Islamophobia, is seen at the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa on March 27, 2023. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) OTTAWA — Ottawa's approach to the war in Gaza is eroding many Muslim-Canadians' 'sense of belonging' in this country, says the federal special representative on combating Islamophobia. 'This ongoing, horrifying situation is deeply, deeply damaging the sense of belonging that people feel,' Amira Elghawaby said in an wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press. 'This relates to dehumanization … of Palestinian life, of Muslim life.' Elghawaby's job since February 2023 has been to advise Ottawa on how federal policies, including foreign policy, affect Muslim Canadians. She said Muslims have been horrified by the Israeli military offensive and aid restrictions in Gaza that followed the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants which killed 1,200 in Israel. The Hamas-run health ministry reports that Israel has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has included airstrikes on ambulances and hospitals. Israel has set up aid-distribution sites where hundreds have been shot dead while trying to access food. The UN World Food Program said last week that Israel's restrictions on food reaching Gaza have resulted in 'new and astonishing levels of desperation,' with 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and a third of the territory's population going days without eating. Israel disputes the United Nations' account and says it restricted aid because large amounts of food were being stolen by Hamas. Aid groups have said there is no proof for that claim. Elghawaby said the grief felt by Muslim-Canadian families over the suffering of loved ones in Gaza is being compounded by a sense that Ottawa isn't doing enough to prevent the suffering, despite issuing 'very clear statements' on the situation. ''Devastated' is not even strong enough a word to describe how people are feeling,' she said. '(These are) their loved ones, their family members, who are starving, who are continuing to face bombing and displacement, and who are just desperate — desperate for this to end.' On social media, Elghawaby wrote that the fear felt by Canadians with family in the region grows 'with each day that passes without meaningful action towards upholding international humanitarian law.' In the interview, Elghawaby said she doesn't have the mandate or enough detailed information to say whether Canada is doing enough. She said she can only convey the feeling widespread in Muslim and Arab communities that Ottawa is dropping the ball. 'How can it be — is what people are asking me — that international humanitarian law is violated in this way, and nothing is actually happening, or not enough is happening?' she said. 'They wonder, are our lives expendable? How many people have to die for there to be action, concrete action, to end this?' Elghawaby said Muslim communities want 'every tool' proposed by international organizations put to use 'to ensure compliance (with) international humanitarian law.' She said those tools could include more sanctions or a full arms embargo on Israel. She said her job is not to dictate Canada's foreign policy. 'I am here really to provide the insight into how our communities perceive policies that the government (is) putting forward,' she said. Elghawaby also said Canada needs to fix problems in a program it launched to allow Canadians to resettle their Gaza relatives here. Fewer than 1,200 visas have been issued through the program, even though Ottawa has accepted 5,000 applications. Elghawaby also said those advocating for Palestinians continue to be unfairly branded as anti-Jewish or pro-terrorism. In January 2024, she said anyone spewing hate speech should face consequences, but noted that people have been fired and stigmatized for taking part in peaceful protests and petitions. The problem has only gotten worse, she said. 'They continue to face all sorts of branding as being terrorist sympathizers, as being somehow out of step with democracy and human rights,' she said. 'In fact, that's all they're calling for — for democratic norms, around ensuring that international humanitarian law is respected around the world, including for Palestinians.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Lack of action on Gaza erodes Muslims' sense of belonging in Canada: envoy
OTTAWA - Ottawa's approach to the war in Gaza is eroding many Muslim-Canadians' 'sense of belonging' in this country, says the federal special representative on combating Islamophobia. 'This ongoing, horrifying situation is deeply, deeply damaging the sense of belonging that people feel,' Amira Elghawaby said in an wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lack of action on Gaza erodes Muslims' sense of belonging in Canada: envoy
OTTAWA – Ottawa's approach to the war in Gaza is eroding many Muslim-Canadians' 'sense of belonging' in this country, says the federal special representative on combating Islamophobia. 'This ongoing, horrifying situation is deeply, deeply damaging the sense of belonging that people feel,' Amira Elghawaby said in an wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press. 'This relates to dehumanization … of Palestinian life, of Muslim life.' Elghawaby's job since February 2023 has been to advise Ottawa on how federal policies, including foreign policy, affect Muslim Canadians. She said Muslims have been horrified by the Israeli military offensive and aid restrictions in Gaza that followed the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants which killed 1,200 in Israel. The Hamas-run health ministry reports that Israel has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has included airstrikes on ambulances and hospitals. Israel has set up aid-distribution sites where hundreds have been shot dead while trying to access food. The UN World Food Program said last week that Israel's restrictions on food reaching Gaza have resulted in 'new and astonishing levels of desperation,' with 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and a third of the territory's population going days without eating. Israel disputes the United Nations' account and says it restricted aid because large amounts of food were being stolen by Hamas. Aid groups have said there is no proof for that claim. Elghawaby said the grief felt by Muslim-Canadian families over the suffering of loved ones in Gaza is being compounded by a sense that Ottawa isn't doing enough to prevent the suffering, despite issuing 'very clear statements' on the situation. ''Devastated' is not even strong enough a word to describe how people are feeling,' she said. '(These are) their loved ones, their family members, who are starving, who are continuing to face bombing and displacement, and who are just desperate — desperate for this to end.' On social media, Elghawaby wrote that the fear felt by Canadians with family in the region grows 'with each day that passes without meaningful action towards upholding international humanitarian law.' In the interview, Elghawaby said she doesn't have the mandate or enough detailed information to say whether Canada is doing enough. She said she can only convey the feeling widespread in Muslim and Arab communities that Ottawa is dropping the ball. 'How can it be — is what people are asking me — that international humanitarian law is violated in this way, and nothing is actually happening, or not enough is happening?' she said. 'They wonder, are our lives expendable? How many people have to die for there to be action, concrete action, to end this?' Elghawaby said Muslim communities want 'every tool' proposed by international organizations put to use 'to ensure compliance (with) international humanitarian law.' She said those tools could include more sanctions or a full arms embargo on Israel. She said her job is not to dictate Canada's foreign policy. 'I am here really to provide the insight into how our communities perceive policies that the government (is) putting forward,' she said. Elghawaby also said Canada needs to fix problems in a program it launched to allow Canadians to resettle their Gaza relatives here. Fewer than 1,200 visas have been issued through the program, even though Ottawa has accepted 5,000 applications. Elghawaby also said those advocating for Palestinians continue to be unfairly branded as anti-Jewish or pro-terrorism. In January 2024, she said anyone spewing hate speech should face consequences, but noted that people have been fired and stigmatized for taking part in peaceful protests and petitions. The problem has only gotten worse, she said. 'They continue to face all sorts of branding as being terrorist sympathizers, as being somehow out of step with democracy and human rights,' she said. 'In fact, that's all they're calling for — for democratic norms, around ensuring that international humanitarian law is respected around the world, including for Palestinians.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Toronto Sun
03-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Victim's hijab 'violently' pulled off during alleged swarming attack: Advocates
Published Jul 03, 2025 • 2 minute read A Durham Regional Police vehicle. Photo by Kevin Connor / Files / Toronto Sun OSHAWA — A swarming attack on a business owner in Oshawa that police are investigating as a possible hate crime has shaken the victim's family and the broader Muslim community, which has seen a rise in Islamophobic incidents, advocates said Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Amira Elghawaby, a federal special representative on combating Islamophobia, said the alleged suspects 'violently' ripped off the woman's hijab and kicked her repeatedly during the attack. She said it has left members of the community anxious and frightened. 'We are gathered to condemn this latest attack on a visible Muslim woman here in Oshawa,' she told a news conference outside city hall that was organized by the National Council of Canadian Muslims. Durham Regional Police said a group of teens caused a disturbance at a Pizza Pizza restaurant shortly after midnight on Wednesday and attacked the victim after they were confronted. Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Investigators said store surveillance footage shows the group swarming and assaulting a person at the store, and they are encouraging perpetrators to come forward as they seek witnesses. 'It is critical that this latest incident be fully investigated and if hate crime charges are warranted for them to be laid,' Elghawaby said, noting that wearing a head scarf can sometimes put a target on Muslim women. 'As part of our investigative process, all motives, including the potential that this was a hate-motivated offence, are being thoroughly examined,' Durham police said in a statement. The victim's daughter said her mother had noted a surge in Islamophobic attitudes at her business, and the family sees the alleged swarming as an escalation of that trend. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The daughter spoke at Thursday's news conference but did not provide her name, with organizers saying the family is concerned about their safety in the wake of the attack. RECOMMENDED VIDEO She said she has felt numb since the 'vicious' attack, and her mother is still recovering. 'She is deeply shaken,' the daughter said. 'The incident has left her scarred and extremely on edge.' Omar Khamisa, the chief operating officer of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said he was heartbroken and angry to hear about the attack, adding his organization is seeing a rise in reported hate crimes against Muslims. 'As I stand here today addressing you all, my heart sits in my stomach,' he said. 'We got this call about this incident early yesterday morning. The details of what happened doesn't just make me sad, it makes me angry.' Khamisa called on elected officials to acknowledge the gravity of the issue and take measures to address it. 'It's time for the words to become actions now,' he said. 'We cannot keep waiting for the next attack before we make and move for change.' World Movies Sports Money News Editorial Cartoons
