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Canadian Muslim Leaders Address Concerns, Critique Government Response, and Advocate for Policy Changes
1-29-2024
The National Council of Canadian Muslims representing diverse backgrounds and professions, to address various issues affecting Muslim community held a press conference on January 29-2023.
Canadian Muslim leaders recently marked the 7th anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack by abruptly cancelling a meeting on Monday January 29-2024 with the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Chief executive Stephen Brown told a news conference, "We no longer think it's productive to speak with this prime minister”, “There's nothing new that we could say. We've said it all before.”
The key themes of their message included concerns over rising Islamophobia, critiques of the Canadian government's response to international incidents, and a call for tangible policy changes to address these challenges.
NCCM acknowledged the solemn occasion of the 7th anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack, a tragic incident that shook the Canadian Muslim community. The leaders expressed solidarity with the victims' families and emphasized the need for continued remembrance and action to prevent such atrocities in the future.
"We're interested in the government taking real, tangible action to reduce Islamophobia in this country (and) taking real tangible action to stop the hostilities in the Middle East," Brown said.
NCCAM also addressed the recent sentencing arguments for the London terror attacker, who claimed the lives of multiple generations in London, Ontario. The leaders lamented the loss of innocent lives and underscored the impact of Islamophobia on their community. They argued that Canada has witnessed more mass killings motivated by Islamophobia in the past seven years than any other G7 country.
One of the notable aspects NCCM announced was a decision to cancel a scheduled meeting with the Prime Minister. NCCM asserted that Canada had suffered from a lack of substantial progress on issues important to the Muslim community. Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims criticized the government's stance on international matters, particularly its response to the International Court of Justice's provisional measures on Gaza.
Brown accused the government of compromising the integrity of the international rule-based order by challenging the premise of the ICJ case. "They've compromised the integrity of the international rules-based order and the ICJ by challenging the premise of the case," he said.
He expressed disappointment over the government's failure to move forward on substantive hate crime legislation and the unfulfilled promise of a victim of hate support fund. Additionally, Brown pointed to an unprecedented spike in Islamophobic attacks across the country, citing the government's inadequate response.
"That great promise now feels broken and perhaps beyond repair."
The decision to cancel the meeting with the Prime Minister was described as unprecedented and rooted in the belief that the government's promises had been broken, and the relationship had deteriorated stating that despite repeated appeals, the Prime Minister had not specifically condemned these incidents. NCCM also raised concerns about the government's justifications for the killings in Gaza, its silence on targeted attacks on journalists, and the erosion of feminist foreign policy values.
The community leaders called attention to a Calgary journalist allegedly kidnapped by Israeli State agents, asserting that the Prime Minister had not spoken out to protect the safety of Canadian citizens. They expressed disappointment in the government's departure from its humanitarian reputation, highlighting the need for consistent support for human rights causes.
Amidst their critique, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to engaging in good faith with elected officials and participating in the democratic process. They emphasized the importance of advocating for justice, not just for their community but also for the thousands affected by violence in Gaza and victims of Islamophobia in Canada.
The decision to cancel a meeting with the Prime Minister underscored the frustration with perceived inaction and unfulfilled promises. The leaders articulated a desire for tangible policy changes to address rising Islamophobia, both domestically and internationally, emphasizing their commitment to engaging with political leaders across party lines to champion the cause of justice.
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