Canada has appointed human rights activist Amira Elghawaby as the country’s first special representative on combating Islamophobia, a move hailed as a “turning point” in the fight against hate in the country.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau announced her appointment on Thursday, calling it an “important step in our fight against Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms”.
The award-winning journalist and human rights advocate will fill the post to “serve as a champion, advisor, expert and representative to support and enhance the federal government’s efforts in the fight against Islamophobia, systemic racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance”, a statement by the prime minister’s office said.
“Diversity truly is one of Canada’s greatest strengths, but for many Muslims, Islamophobia is all too familiar. We need to change that. No one in our country should experience hatred because of their faith,” Mr Trudeau said in a statement.
Her appointment comes after the federal government announced in June that it was seeking to induct its first anti-Islamophobia representative.
Over the past few years, calls to tackle racism hate-motivated violence, and the prevalence of far-right groups grew more urgent with a series of deadly attacks targeting Canada’s Muslim community.
The number of hate groups operating in the country has tripled and anti-Muslim rhetoric is one the “most salient” topics among right-wing extremists, a 2020 report by Institute for Strategic Dialogue found.
Amnesty Canada said: “The Appointment of Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia Amira Elghawaby is a Turning Point in the Fight Against Islamophobia. Congratulations to @AmiraElghawaby Wishing her strength & success as she takes on this challenging mandate.”
Ms Elghawaby, who is a columnist for the Toronto Star newspaper, said she hopes her new role will improve Canada’s understanding of “Muslim identities and cultures,” while combating “persistent racism and misrepresentation” of the community.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) raised the demand to create the position in 2021 after a Muslim family in Ontario was killed when a truck driver struck them while they were on an evening walk.
Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal survived the accident, the only family member.
In 2017, six people of the Muslim faith died and five were injured in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims called it a “historic moment for Muslims in Canada”.
“This is the first time the fight against Islamophobia will have an established home in Canadian government,” the group’s CEO, Stephen Brown, said in a statement.
“There are urgent changes that need to be met, from better oversight for our national security agencies, to stopping our community organizations from being unfairly audited. We have a lot of work ahead and we are so excited that there is now an Office that can help us bring about these changes at the institutional level.”
