Canada Names 1st Special Representative to Counter Islamophobia
Elghawaby leads strategic communications for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and was one of the founding board members of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. She also sits on the National Security Transparency Advisory Group, which advises the deputy minister of public safety on national security policies and practices.
“Islamophobia and other xenophobic behaviours, including antisemitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous hate and anti-Asian racism among others continue to be present in Canadian society, despite the ideals of multiculturalism that I and many others grew up believing in,” Elghawaby said in Toronto on Thursday.
She said she hopes her new role — framed by the government as the first of its kind in the world — will improve Canada’s understanding of “Muslim identities and cultures,” while also countering “persistent racism and misrepresentation” facing that community.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) first called on Ottawa to create the position after four members of a Muslim family were killed in 2021 when the driver of a truck struck them as they were out for an evening walk in London, Ont. Nine-year old Fayez Afzaal was the only person to survive the attack, which London police said was motivated by hate against the family’s faith.
The demand was raised with government officials at a national summit convened to tackle Islamophobia in July 2021. At the time, the NCCM wanted to see such a representative granted “the powers of a commissioner to investigate different issues relating to Islamophobia in Canada, and to conduct third-party reviews across all sectors of the federal government relating to concerns of Islamophobia.”
Ottawa announced it had started its search for the special representative last June, after committing $5.6 million over five years in the 2022 federal budget to fund the position.
Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen said Thursday that Elghawaby will be working closely with government officials to combat hate against Muslims in Canada, including working to protect freedom of religion and improve public policy.
Source: Toronto Star
