READ THE FULL JOINT STATEMENT ON BILL C-59
January 29, 2018 marked the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Quebec City mosque that killed 6 men and wounded 19. ICLMG is committed to combatting Islamophobia as it is both a cause and a consequence of the racist foundations and applications of national security. To highlight this tragic event, we have put together this resource list against Islamophobia.
Despite many hateful incidents reported in the media in the last year, and the obviously Islamophobic character of the January 29, 2017 massacre, many people seem to think that Islamophobia is not real, and that the word was created recently to stifle free speech and criticism of Islam.
We know that this is not the case and that this belief is an attempt to divert attention from the very real Islamophobic attacks on Muslims. Others might be aware that Islamophobia is real, alive and kicking but be unsure how to combat it. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of resources that may help you better understand and/or show others what Islamophobia is, and how to fight it. Feel free to use and share them widely!
National Security and Islamophobia in Canada, written by ICLMG, July 20, 2021
Islamophobia in Canada, co-prepared by ICLMG’s Tim McSorley and Azeezah Kanji from the Noor Cultural Centre, July 22, 2021
Online at www.islamawareness.ca. A series of excellent courses for educators, schools and other learning environments, along with other important resources including toolkits, videos and infographics, from the Muslim Association of Canada.
The CRA’s Prejudiced Audits: Counter-Terrorism and the Targeting of Muslim Charities in Canada + Take action!
5 excellent short videos explaining the several facets of Islamophobia
Extensive list of resources to fight Islamophobia
Always Already Suspicious: The Inherent Racism of National Security
This brief was submitted by the Noor Cultural Centre to the parliamentary Heritage Committee, for its Motion M103 hearings on Islamophobia in Canada. The ICLMG has endorsed this brief. I highly suggest you read it and share it widely. http://www.noorculturalcentre.ca/?p=16629
National Council of Canadian Muslims’ trainings: https://www.nccm.ca/connect/training/
A few slides from the workshop on Islamophobia given by Rana Nazzal during OPIRG Carleton’s 2017 Tools for Change Symposium:
Monia’s blog, columns and books – follow her on Twitter @MoniaMazigh: https://moniamazigh.wordpress.com
NCCM’s map of anti-Muslim incidents in Canada: https://www.nccm.ca/map/
Fear Inc. Explore the $57 million network fueling Islamophobia in the United States: https://islamophobianetwork.com
Network against Islamophobia: https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/network-against-islamophobia/
2018 Survey on Islamophobia in Canada: http://www.cjpme.org/islamophobia
All Muslims are often blamed for single acts of terror. Psychology explains how to stop it. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/11/30/16645024/collective-blame-psychology-muslim
When people ask you why Muslims don’t denounce terrorism, show them this: The 712-page Google doc that proves Muslims do condemn terrorism: https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2017/mar/26/muslims-condemn-terrorism-stats
Islamophobia: The Right Word for a Real Problem: http://bridge.georgetown.edu/islamophobia-the-right-word-for-a-real-problem/
A Non-Muslim Guide to Standing up to Islamophobia: http://muslimgirl.com/36100/heres-non-muslim-guide-standing-islamophobia/
Always Already Suspicious: The Inherent Racism of National Security in Canada, une présentation d’Azeezah Kanji: iclmg.ca/always-already-suspicious-the-inherent-racism-of-national-security-a-talk-by-azeezah-kanji
National Council of Canadian Muslims: https://www.facebook.com/NCCMuslims/ & https://twitter.com/nccm
Linda Sarsour: https://www.facebook.com/lsarsour/ & https://twitter.com/lsarsour
Dalia Mogahed: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=507181698
Middle Eastern Feminist: https://www.facebook.com/themiddleeasternfeminist/
Muslim Girl: https://www.facebook.com/muslimgirlarmy/
The Secret Life of Muslims: https://www.facebook.com/SecretlifeofMuslims/
Muslim Lives Matter: https://www.facebook.com/muslimlivesmatter/
Coalition Against White Supremacy & Islamophobia (CAWSI): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1792848744374213/
Collectif Canadien Anti-Islamophobie: https://www.facebook.com/Collectif.Canadien.Anti.Islamophobie/
Association des Musulmans et des Arabes pour la Laïcité au Québec: https://www.facebook.com/AMALQuebec/
Arun Kundnani, The Muslims are coming: Islamophobia, Extremism and the Domestic War on Terror, 2015
Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and The Politics of Empire, 2012
Nathan Lean, The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims, 2012
Our panel on National Security & Islamophobia in Canada with author and activist Monia Mazigh and lawyer Yavar Hameed:
Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Course World History #13:
Islam and Politics: Crash Course World History 216:
What do you think when you look at me? | Dalia Mogahed :
Extreme(ly queer) Muslims series:
Islamophobin, a gum to cure anti-Muslim bigotry!
7 Questions British Muslims Are Tired of Hearing:
Things Not To Say To Someone Who Wears A Burqa:
Some of the Best Responses to Islamophobia in 2016:
Documentary Reel Bad Arabs, How Hollywood Vilifies a People:
Other TedTalk on Islamophobia:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ted+talk+islamophobia
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Bill C-59 is the Liberal government’s response to last year’s consultations on national security and to Bill C-51, the Anti-terrorism Act of 2015. After thoroughly analyzing the 150-page bill, we’ve concluded that although it brings a few positive changes, including new review and oversight mechanisms (which still need to be strengthened) Bill C-59 not only does not get rid of C-51, but introduces troubling new mass surveillance capabilities and cyberpowers.
In order to protect our human rights, the ICLMG co-wrote an open letter addressed to the Public Safety Minister, hosted a panel and filmed a series of videos to raise awareness about the legislation, and launched a letter-writing campaign to fix Bill C-59.
Bill C-59 is being studied in Parliamentary Committee right now and we need to keep the pressure on.
With your continuing support, we can ensure many more victories in 2018!
In order to shed some light on the very obscure world of national security policies, we organized a National Security & Human Rights Speaker Series co-sponsored by our member CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
The series covered Bill C-59, the new National Security Act; Islamophobia, both a cause and consequence of national security; criminalization of dissent in Canada and abroad; and Canada’s complicity in torture.
We’ve had the great pleasure of hearing amazing panelists such as Micheal Vonn, Paul Champ, Tamir Israel, Monia Mazigh, Yavar Hameed, Freddy Stoneypoint, Jennifer Moore, Sophie Harkat and Khalid Elgazzar. Watch the videos here!
We plan on hosting more panels in the future as the different impacts of national security on our rights and our lives are multiple and diverse. Help us keep the public informed on issues of national security!
December 10th is International Human Rights Day. Ironically it is also the day Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a security certificate 15 years ago. He has never been charged with a crime but he spent years in jail and faces deportation to Algeria where he risks detention, disappearance and torture.
For many years now we’ve advocated for Moe’s rights to due process and a fair trial, we’ve denounced security certificates, and opposed his deportation to torture. In the last month, we attended court to show our support, we widely publicized the rally on the hill, and we participated in a press conference calling on the Trudeau government to stop the deportation proceedings.
Canadian citizen and professor Hassan Diab was extradited to France in 2014 to be investigated for the bombing of a synagogue in Paris in 1980. Since then, a French investigative judge found overwhelming evidence that Hassan was in Lebanon at the time of the bombing. Judges have ordered his release 8 times, but each time it was blocked by the prosecution. He has now been held without charge in pre-trial detention for more than 3 years in France, away from his partner Rania and their two children.
We’ve been advocating for the rights of Hassan Diab for years, opposing his extradition and calling for due process and a fair trial. In the past year, we’ve written letters to the government, spoken at a rally and at a press conference calling on Trudeau to intervene for the return of Hassan to Canada.
We’ve written a letter, sent to the Peruvian authorities, to denounce the criminalization of freedom of expression and international solidarity in Peru, and to denounce the harassment and the illegal and arbitrary detention of MiningWatch Canada’s Latin America Program Coordinator Jen Moore and US journalist and filmmaker John Dougherty between April 18 to 23, 2017, as well as their subsequent prohibition from entry to Peru for an indefinite period.
This year, on top of our actions on Bill C-59, we’ve advocated for changes to improve a few pieces of legislation and called for the removal of several others in order to protect our civil liberties, including Bill C-21 on the collection of exit data, C-22 on the committee of Parliamentarians on national security, and C-23 on preclearance.
We’ve called and met with many MPs, sent out briefs and testified at Parliamentary Committees, provided expert opinions when requested by parliamentarians, including on the use of intelligence as evidence in civil and criminal cases, and offered support to the #NoFlyListKids group during their day of advocacy on Parliament Hill.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a State-driven review of the human rights records of all UN Member States, supervised by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Canada’s UPR is coming up in May 2018. The ICLMG, in its 2nd UPR submission, has raised – and repeated some – concerns regarding: the security certificate regime, the no-fly list program, the new ministerial directives on information tied to torture, the Afghan detainees, Hassan Diab, the criminalization of dissent, the national security creep, discretionary powers and the use of secret evidence, encryption, counter-radicalization, and multiple pieces of legislation. Read our UPR submission.
We asked ICLMG supporters to ask 7 short questions on national security and human rights to their MP – in person at a summer event, like a BBQ, by phone or by email. Check them out!
We posted on our website the answers we received to our questionnaire on national security, anti-terrorism and human rights. We sent our questions to all the NDP leadership candidates but only received answers from Niki Ashton and Charlie Angus. Check out their answers, comments and grades.
We continue to publish our weekly News Digest! It is Canada’s most comprehensive weekly round-up of news articles on national security and human rights issues. If you aren’t subscribed yet, or if you know anyone interested in national security and/or human rights, sign up and/or send them an invite to sign up!
We’ve written many op-eds, press releases and letters, including a few against the new ministerial directives on torture-tainted information and one in support of letting Chelsea Manning enter Canada.
We’ve given a lot of media interviews, put together issue pages and policy papers, spoken on panels, and given workshops, webinars and keynote speeches for our members and partners.
Finally, we’ve co-organised several events such as the Enabling Civil Society: Democracy & Dissent Conference with Voices-Voix, and a talk on Guantanamo detainee, Ammar Al Baluchi, with Amnesty International Canada.
If you are still not convinced, check out ALL our Achievements & Gains since 2002.
Thank you so much for your generous support and have a great year 2018!
– Anne & Tim