NCCM

The official Twitter account of NCCM - the National Council of Canadian Muslims. RT≠endorsements UOI. Francais: @CNMC_Quebec

[NCCM @nccm]

It is deeply disappointing and hurtful to see a player on as popular a team as the Blue Jays promote Islamophobia and conspiracy theories.

Muslims, particularly youth, who cheer for the team and its players will now doubt whether they truly belong to the Jays fanbase.

There is simply a no room for Islamophobia or hate of any kind in the MLB or within the Jays organization.

We call upon the MLB, the MLSE, the Blue Jays, and all leaders to denounce these anti-Muslim posts. We urge leadership to follow the same precedent it has established when other players have taken bigoted stances against other communities.

We also call for a full apology from Mr. Santander, as well as a commitment from him to meet with Muslim communities to thoroughly understand why his posts are false, hurtful, and harmful to Muslims in Canada.

[blogTO @blogTO]

Toronto Blue Jays slugger shares Islamophobic social media posts
https://t.co/YAkJRokrSX

[NCCM @nccm]

This past September, a Muslim student who wears the hijab wrote her LSAT exam in Vancouver, BC and was asked to remove her hijab for security screening.

She declined as it would have required removal of her hijab in front of men and security cameras. The exam proctor did not offer her a private space to do this screening.

Afterwards, the proctor lodged a report against the student to the Law School Admission Council, which withheld her LSAT score pending a long investigation.

If the score was not released in time, the student risked potentially being unable to use it for the upcoming round of law school admissions—a big waste of time and money for her.

NCCM Staff Lawyer Armaan Kassam led representation of the student and demanded a release of her score, compensation, and a review of how the company hosting the exam failed to uphold clear and simple religious accommodations.

In the end, the LSAC responded to our complaints by agreeing to ALL those demands.

No one should be punished after asking for reasonable religious accommodations. We will always be here to stand up for our communities' rights, and to demand justice and accountability.

[NCCM @nccm]

We are horrified to learn that Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal was attacked last night. Several windows were damaged by what appears to be BB gun shots.

This is entirely unacceptable and yet another attack on a synagogue in a way that no words can truly capture our anger towards.

Those responsible should face the harshest possible penalties.

We are in touch with folks at the synagogue and will do everything we can to support them at this dark time.

[NCCM @nccm]

This past summer, two vehicles were set on fire in the driveway of Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East MP Salma Zahid’s home in Scarborough.

It was a horrific act of violence that could easily have done even more damage had the fire spread to their home.

Security footage shows a suspect dousing several vehicles and lighting them on fire. One suspect, the driver of the vehicle, has been arrested, while the main suspect who conducted the arson is still at large, two months later.

The community is deeply concerned that this incident remains unresolved. It is absolutely vital that law enforcement is expeditious and diligent in its pursuit of justice in this case.

We call on all elected leaders to renew calls for justice regarding this horrifying episode. The investigation must be thorough, but also timely, so as to deliver real justice in light of such horrible violence.

[Stephen Brown @stephenajbrown1]

Pour un gouvernement minoritaire, assermenté il y a à peine une semaine, qui n'a pas consulté la population, s'entêter à faire avancer une politique radicale qui a vu le jour à la suite d'un sondage SurveyMonkey envoyé à sa base politique et qui s'attaque aux droits des enfants, c'est manquer à sa propre cible de livrer des politiques équilibrées et intelligentes.

Nous espérons que le gouvernement s'engagera à consulter les Québécois qui seront touchés par le retrait de leurs droits et qu'il travaillera avec nous pour trouver des pistes constructives.

Entre-temps, nous consultons nos conseillers juridiques et la communauté afin d'examiner toutes nos options pour nous opposer, par tous les moyens nécessaires, à cette nouvelle vague de législation liberticide.

"Le vivre ensemble dans le respect de la difference est un equilibre exigant pour sequel nois avons le devoir de livrer quelque chose d'intelligent."
Paul St-pierre Plamondon

https://t.co/1Ze2Oh4sm8

[NCCM @nccm]

The Parti Québécois wants to ban religious symbols for elementary school students. Today, the Minister of Education said that it’s a
“non negotiable”, just weeks after the election.

If adopted, this measure would mark a new low in the violation of fundamental rights and the targeting of religious minorities in Canada.

An obsession with how people choose to dress is one thing.

Targeting children for who they are is an entirely different matter, evoking some of the darkest chapters in our own history as a country.

If this measure moves forward, we will challenge it in court through every legal avenue available.

We will never accept attacks on children and their rights.

Not in Quebec.
Not anywhere in Canada.

If anything should be “non-negotiable”, it is the protection of children and their fundamental rights.

[NCCM @nccm]

It is deeply disappointing and disturbing to see this kind of Islamophobic harassment and hate play out on the streets of London, Ontario.

Just five years ago, a white supremacist drove his truck into a Muslim family in London, killing four members. He was radicalized by ideas of Muslims not belonging in Canada.

Such narratives are extremely dangerous, but they continue to animate an increasing number of Islamophobic incidents across both Ontario and Canada. They are threatening to become the new normal.

Canada must not stay silent in the face of this growing threat.

We call on all elected leaders to condemn this horrible incident, and to commit to sitting down with our communities to formulate a new way forward.

It is time to build out a new National Strategy on Combatting Islamophobia. It is time to stand together.

[NCCM @nccm]

The UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has concluded that Israel has continued to commit genocide since the commencement of the latest so-called truce.

It said Israeli authorities had kept committing "genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, ​in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza."

Such crimes against humanity cannot be met with silence or lipservice. Canada must do more in light of this horrific reality and assessment.

It is time for further sanctions against the entire cabinet and we must also ensure that any Canadians who fought or participated in these crimes must be held to justice.

[NCCM @nccm]

It is truly disturbing to see such a show of force by open white supremacy on the steps of the BC legislature.

It is an affront to all British Columbians.

Premier-elect Doerkson is right to condemn what happened, but also to commit to fighting the threat of hate that has damaged so much of BC and Canada's social fabric.

https://t.co/N1i1UYI8Ex

[NCCM @nccm]

The fourth panel of our full-day conference (co-hosted with @openmediaorg) on the Safe Social Media Act and Getting Bill C-34 Right deals with the specifics of regulating chatbots.

Our moderator is NCCM Media and Communications Lead Steven Zhou.

He is joined on stage by:

Dr. Sarah Grimes, McGill University
Dr. Florian Martin-Bariteau, University of Ottawa
Cristiano Da Silva, University of Waterloo and UNICEF Canada
Matthew Johnson, MediaSmarts

[Canadian Civil Liberties Association @cancivlib]

Today, CCLA's Director of our Privacy, Surveillance and Technology Program, Tamir Israel, will be speaking on a Panel on Bill C-34. This bill will impose a social media ban for youth under the age of 16 and other age verification mechanisms. It’s part of broader conferences on the Safe Social Media Act hosted by @nccm and OpenMedia at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. We are looking forward to a lively conversation on how to get Canada’s online safety law right. More details here:

https://t.co/o6plEmlmCF

[NCCM @nccm]

As our full-day conference today (co-hosted with @openmediaorg) on the Safe Social Media Act and Getting Bill C-34 Right moves on, our third panel on "Age-Restricting the Internet" is being chaired by McGill University's Sarah Grimes.

She is joined by:

Jeff Muizelaar, Mozilla
Keith Jansa, Digital Governance Council
Tamir Israel, CCLA
Jim Killock, Open Rights Group (United Kingdom)

#BillC34 #cdnpoli #onlineharms

[NCCM @nccm]

Heads up!

Municipal elections are happening today all across Ontario!

This is your friendly reminder that wherever you are today in the province, make sure to take a break and go exercise your right to have your voice heard!

For more information, visit the Elections Ontario website!

https://t.co/YLc7C040fq

[NCCM @nccm]

At our full-day conference today (co-hosted with @openmediaorg) on the Safe Social Media Act and Getting Bill C-34 Right, we have a panel analyzing the implications of the Digital Safety Commission that the law will be forming to regulate online harms.

Moderating this discussion is Open Media's Matt Hatfield.

He is joined by:

Amy Awad, Canadian Heritage
Natalie Campbell, Internet Society
Michael Karanicolas, Dalhousie University

#BillC34 #cdnpoli #onlineharms

[NCCM @nccm]

We are excited today as we co-host, along with @openmediaorg, a full day conference on "Getting Bill C-34 Right: the Safe Social Media Act" in Ottawa.

As hate and division continue to proliferate online, and as we explore new ways to protect our communities, children, and our social wider social fabric, the threat of online harms
has become the foremost issue of our time.

Our panel features the top minds on this issue, including policy makers, civil society leaders, and key opinion formers.

https://t.co/CUbcDGDlqx

#onlineharms #cdnpoli #BillC3

[NCCM @nccm]

Today, Albertans will head to the polls to vote in a referendum on whether to seriously consider leaving the country we all call home.

Surveys have shown that Albertans overwhelmingly want to stay within Canada to build a better collective future, together.

We are URGING OUR COMMUNITY - VOTE TO STAY IN CANADA TODAY!

We hope that the hearts and minds of Alberta will ultimately prevail against the hateful voices of xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment that have permeated so much of this debate these past few months.

We urge Albertans heading to the polls to vote "NO" on those questions that will make it harder for immigrants and other newcomers to access basic healthcare and education in the province.

Canada is stronger when we work together on issues that threaten all of us, including prolonged economic uncertainty and even threats to make our country into a 51st American state.

In light of these challenges, it is more important now than ever that we work hand in hand to prevail above false and divisive narratives.

https://t.co/kxHfhIS89i

[NCCM @nccm]

After significant community concern and advocacy, including much engagement by many Canadians, including NCCM, the Government of Canada has clarified in a response letter that anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, reaffirming Canadians’ right to engage in open, respectful, and lawful debate about Israel, its government policies, and any political ideology.

In its response to NCCM on October 16th, the Minister of Public Safety reaffirmed that the Report is not intended to suggest that all criticism of Zionism or Israel is antisemitic, nor to limit or discourage lawful political expression and public debate.

While this clarification is a step in the right direction, many in our community remain concerned about the IHRA definition and how it may be applied in practice to chill legitimate political speech, even though the federal government states that it is non-prescriptive guidance and does not restrict Charter-protected freedoms.

Many Canadians have lost their jobs for innocuous statements critiquing Israel. We’ve taken many of these cases to court to protect their rights and have won.

We will continue to advocate for the protection of civil liberties, freedom of expression, and the right of all Canadians to engage in legitimate political debate without fear of having their views unfairly characterized.

[NCCM @nccm]

We are deeply hurt by the comments made by BC Conservative Campaign Director Katy Merrifield where she wrote “F*** Islam,” and made several subsequent posts that demonstrate a pattern of promoting Islamophobic views.

This is of course very concerning to B.C. Muslims and Canadian Muslims broadly, especially we learned yesterday of the racist views of one of the Conservative candidates.

We recognize that Ms. Merrifield has contextualized those remarks. However, at no point did she apologize for her statement or recognize the pain caused, and she has not addressed her pattern of promoting a range of problematic messages.

BC has seen a gigantic uptick in Islamophobia - from cars being driven at people to Imams being attacked in the street to mosques being vandalized.

Yesterday, the BC Conservative Leader made the necessary decision to remove Mr. Joachim Agou from the party for problematic comments he had made in the past.

There is no room for hate in any area of Canadian politics.

We will engage in good-faith conversation with the BC Conservatives about these troubling revelations, but Islamophobia must be addressed.

We must stand together to take action on Islamophobia. This must be a bipartisan commitment.