Paris attacks spark anti-Muslim backlash,
but Canadians are fighting back
'The terrorists want us to hate one another,' says National Council of Canadian
Muslims spokeswoman
By Sheena Goodyear, CBC News Posted: Nov 22, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 22,
2015 5:00 AM ET
Since the deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris, there have been a number
of unexpectedly violent and severe incidents targeting Muslims in Canada.
A mosque in Peterborough, Ont., was set on fire in a suspected hate crime. A Muslim
woman was attacked and beaten near an elementary school in Toronto. And a Montreal man was
arrested for posting a video wearing a Joker-type mask and threatening to kill one Arab per
week.
"We typically will see a spike in incidents after these sorts of [Paris-type] events, unfortunately.
But I think the number seems to be quite high in a very short span of
time," says Amira Elghawaby, the spokeswoman for the National Council of Canadian Muslims
(NCCM).
But alongside these episodes of animosity, there has also been an outpouring of support as
Canadians come together to stem the tide of hatred, Elghawaby said.
"The terrorists want us to hate one another. They want to drive a wedge between Muslim
communities and the wider society," she told CBC News. "So I think we really need to double up
on our efforts to not let these divisions occur."
Here are some ways Canadians are fighting the wave of anti-Muslim backlash.
1. Raising money
After the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association's mosque in Peterborough was set ablaze,
local residents launched an online fundraiser to cover the $80,000 in damages.
It reached its goal in just two days. By the time it ended Wednesday, the campaign had
raised $110,536.
"This will not change our perception of the community," the mosque's imam, Shazim Khan, said
at a news conference, where he thanked people for their support.
"We know this is a great community — peaceful, loving, welcoming," he said. "If anyone's
supposed to be afraid, it's me. But I feel secure."
Inspired by the success of the Peterborough fundraiser, a group of Muslims in the Greater
Toronto Area has launched a GoFundMe site to raise money for a Hindu temple in Kitchener,
Ont., that was vandalized on Sunday night.
2. Standing together, literally
In Montreal, three roommates from different walks of life responded to the ISIS attacks in Paris
and Beirut by standing shoulder to shoulder, figuratively and literally, at one of the city's main
subway stations.
Matt Dajer, Ammar Kandil and Thomas Brag held hands and wore T-shirts that read,
respectively, "I'm Matt from New York City," "I'm Ammar, a Muslim from Egypt" and "I'm
Thomas from Paris."
Signs at Dajer and Brag's feet pointed to Kandil and read, "He is my roommate and best friend,"
while a sign at Kandil's feet pointed to his two friends and said, "These are my brothers."
The trio, known as Generation Y Not on YouTube, posted a video of the social experiment.
"Those attacks were designed to make us fear each other, and we didn't want that to happen,"
Kandil told CBC Montreal. "We decided our video was going to be an act of love. We wanted to
tell the world that this is not going to separate us."
Meanwhile, Muslims and non-Muslims marched together in Toronto's Flemingdon Park
neighbourhood on Friday to call for peace.
3. Tweeting
In the immediate aftermath of the shootings and suicide bombings in Paris, Muslims in Canada
and around the world took to Twitter to express solidarity with France and speak out
against Islamophobic messages with the hashtag #IAmMuslim.
Shortly after, non-Muslim supporters joined the chorus with #MuslimsAreNotTerrorists.
4. Condemning hate crimes
Police, politicians and spiritual leaders in Canada have been vocal in their condemnation of hate
crimes in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on Wednesday, calling the recent hate
crimes "highly disturbing."
"Diversity is Canada's strength. These vicious and senseless acts of intolerance have no place in
our country and run absolutely contrary to Canadian values of pluralism and
acceptance," Trudeau said.
"The government of Canada strongly condemns such actions and, along with law enforcement
agencies, will protect the rights of innocent Canadians being subjected to such abuse."