OTTAWA — Muslim groups called on political parties to work harder to stamp out Islamophobia in Canada on Thursday, and to not paint criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
The concerns centred on condemnations of pro-Palestinian rallies and advocacy since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“The response that the Muslim community in Canada, for months, has been receiving from our elected leaders has been duplicitous,” National Council of Canadian Muslims head Stephen Brown said Thursday.
He told the House justice committee that it is contradictory for politicians to call out discrimination while vilifying people for attending peaceful pro-Palestinian protests.
“One that says they care about our concerns, and the other that immediately turns around and further spreads misinformation and makes deliberate attempt to villainize an entire community as hateful and intolerant people,” he testified.
His testimony was part of a parliamentary study into Islamophobia in Canada, which followed a …