Canada’s reputation as a welcoming multicultural society is facing renewed scrutiny as a surge in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment sweeps the country, fueled in part by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Muslim advocacy groups, community leaders, and victims say the rise in hate incidents has reached levels unseen since the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 — and, in some cases, has now surpassed them.
The flashpoint for one recent controversy came in Toronto, where Mayor Olivia Chow posted an Instagram video greeting newly arrived Palestinian refugees with the words “Salam Aleikum! Welcome to Toronto!” Within days, the short clip had racked up 51,000 views and about 1,000 comments, more than half of which were Islamophobic, according to her office. Many mocked the refugees’ appearance, suggesting they were not truly in need.
Chow’s team said the mayor often shares stories to humanise policy decisions, but the video was removed after concerns were raised for the family’s safety. It was replaced with a statement explaining the decision, citing “abusive comments” and “safety concerns for the family.”
Predictable backlash
Fareed Khan, founder of Canadians United Against Hate, said the backlash was predictable. “Since October 2023, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism have exploded across Canada to levels higher than they were after 9/11,” he told Anadolu Agency. Khan blamed years of normalised anti-Muslim narratives, which he said have intensified during the Gaza conflict.
For some Canadian Muslims, the rise in hostility has moved from online platforms into their neighbourhoods. In Toronto’s east end, Marycarmen Lara-Villaneuva, her husband Khurram Shahzad, and their two children have been repeatedly targeted since late March. On the last day of Ramadan, a man attempted to break into their home while shouting anti-Muslim slurs. The family believes their Ramadan decorations — including an inflatable mosque and a “Ramadan Kareem” sign — made them a target.
Just two weeks later, a woman confronted Lara-Villaneuva, calling her a “terrorist” over a pro-Palestinian display outside the house. The man from the March incident was arrested but allegedly violated his release conditions twice in the following months, including by making new death threats and hurling fresh insults at Shahzad.
“We’ve had to adapt to living in fear,” Lara-Villaneuva said in an interview with CP24. “But how long are we supposed to live like this? It’s exhausting and it’s debilitating. This is our home and our community.” Shahzad added that his work-related travel now leaves him deeply uneasy about his family’s safety.
Encourage Muslims to report hate crimes
The couple has chosen to speak publicly to encourage other Muslims to report hate crimes. “It’s not just us,” Lara-Villaneuva said. “This is about the community, other racialised families, other Muslim families.”
Khan described their ordeal as “just the tip of the iceberg” in terms of anti-Muslim hate across Canada. He cited surveys showing that more than half of Canadians express distrust toward Muslims, with significant portions viewing Islam as harmful to Canadian society or blaming Muslims for the discrimination they face.
These concerns are echoed by Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia. In her latest annual report, she wrote that Canadian Muslims are experiencing a wave of harassment, threats, vandalism, and economic consequences, including job losses and exclusion from opportunities, since the escalation of the Gaza conflict.
Her report also highlights a troubling statistic: Canada has the highest rate of targeted killings of Muslims among the G7 nations. Recent high-profile incidents include the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, which left six dead, and the 2021 vehicle attack in London, Ontario, that killed four members of one family. A Canadian Senate report in late 2023 catalogued dozens of other incidents — from hot drinks thrown at Muslim pedestrians to hijabs being forcibly removed.
1,000 incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism
Between October 7, 2023, and March 2024, Elghawaby said, more than 1,000 incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism were reported nationwide. “Quite simply, being Muslim in Canada is not as safe as it should be,” she wrote.
The Canadian government continues to officially promote the country as a “multicultural, pluralistic nation” that embraces diversity. But for many Muslims living in Canada today, the reality feels increasingly different. The growing hostility — whether in the form of online abuse, physical intimidation, or systemic discrimination — is forcing them to navigate daily life with heightened vigilance.
As Lara-Villaneuva put it, “We’ve taken steps to proactively protect our family, but there’s only so much we can do.” Her words capture a wider sentiment in Canada’s Muslim community: that the promise of multicultural harmony will remain unfulfilled unless society confronts the prejudice still simmering beneath the surface.
(Source: Anadolu News)
