Inclusion Infusions: Islamophobia
Posted on Friday, January 17th, 2020
Islamophobia is best understood as a system of oppression that involves:
- individual actions (e.g. name calling, vandalism, harassment, etc.)
- ideologies and stereotypes (e.g. Muslims are terrorists and “invaders,” Muslim women are backward and oppressed) and
- systemic practices (institutional forms of discrimination such as the denial of jobs or housing, racial profiling, security policies targeting Muslims, etc.). (Source: Zine, Jasmin; Chakroun, Fatima; and Abbas, Shifa, “Canadian Muslim Voting Guide: Federal Election 2019” (2019). Sociology Faculty Publications. 12. https://scholars.wlu.ca/soci_faculty/12)
Islamophobia can be found here in Canada. Although a bit dated, according to Statistics Canada the number of police-reported hate crimes against Muslims jumped by 60 per cent in 2015 compared to the previous year. Other more recent data reveals discriminatory views regarding Muslims and immigrants. In May 2019, independent market research company Ipsos published a public opinion poll which found one in four Canadians (26%) responded that, over the past five years, it has become “more acceptable” to be prejudiced against “Muslims/ Arabs.” 23% responded that that it has become “more acceptable” to be prejudiced against “immigrants,” and 21% responded that it has become “more acceptable” to be prejudiced against refugees. Campuses are certainly not immune, as you can see below with some examples from media coverage of hate incidents in 2019 from the National Council of Canadian Muslims:
- Burnaby, British Columbia June 20, 2019: Two separate incidents at SFU’s Burnaby and Surrey campuses. The incident was reported to RCMP and is being investigating. A man was in the prayer space and urinating on the premise, while saying F*** all of the Muslims. NCCM along with MSA have engaged in productive dialogue and Simon Fraser University Administration is taking action on Islamophobia. Reported to Media, NCCM, Police and University
- Toronto, Ontario May 2, 2019. A visibly Muslim woman was asked to follow a proctors into another room for an examination prior to taking her final exam on Thursday at Centennial College. The proctor told her to go somewhere hidden and take her scarf off so they could “check” her. Feeling intimidated, she complied and lifted her veil so the proctor could inspect both the front and back of her head, her ears and her hair. Centennial College is investigating this matter. Reported to Media.
- Kitchener, Ontario April 21, 2019. A group of 6 visibly Muslim women were outside Wilfried Laurier University library when a woman approached them. The woman was saying that what they chose to wear does not make them look Canadian. She asked “why they didn’t wear the sexy and cool clothes the white girls are wearing nowadays to be more Canadian”. The Centre for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are working with the girls. Reported to Media.
- Toronto, Ontario March 22, 2019. A poster outside of multi-faith prayer room was vandalized with the words “A rapist and pedophile” and “Barbarism” at Humber College. Shared on social media.
The Anti-Defamation League has some good resources on Myths and Misconceptions about Muslim People and Islam – for example, many believe that all Muslim people are Arab or Middle Eastern. In fact, the Middle East is home to only about 20% of the world’s Muslims. As of 2015, there were 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, which is roughly 24% of the world’s population, according to a Pew Research Center estimate. While many people think that most Muslims are of Middle Eastern descent, in actuality, Indonesia (in Southeast Asia) currently has the single largest Muslim population. Projections into the future estimate that India (in South Asia) will have the world’s largest population of Muslims by the year 2050.
As both an educational institution and employer, we take very seriously our responsibility to make sure Algonquin College is a space free from discrimination or harassment on the grounds of religion. We have policies and procedures that govern our expectations for behaviour of both our students (SA07 Student Conduct) and staff (HR18 Code of Conduct; HR24 Equity Diversity & Inclusion; HR22 Respectful Workplace), and for how we will prevent and address many different incidents of discrimination, including those that fall into the area of islamophobia. However, one of the most effective ways to foster tolerance (at a minimum) and strive for inclusion and belonging for everyone, is to be curious about others different from ourselves and individually practice our value of learning for personal growth. If you would like to learn more about spirituality, faith, religion, and their connection to workplace accommodations, take advantage of this upcoming opportunity:
Inclusion Infusions Live – Spirituality at Work
January 21st, 2020
10:00-11:30am in C100 Nawapon
Is talking about spirituality and religion ‘off-limits’ at work? What can I do to be respectful of a religion I’m not knowledgeable about? How do I accommodate Friday prayer? Wait – Friday is a day for prayer?
If you have ever thought about any of these issues, this first panel on spirituality in the workplace is for you. Join us for coffee and a conversation with Algonquin’s Christian Chaplin Yuriy Derkach, Imam Mohammad Jebara and Rabbi Kenter to talk about their spiritual beliefs, background, influences, and how that applies to our workplace and campus interactions. This conversation hosted by Student Support Services and Human Resources will help you foster your curiosity about others, and provide an opportunity to ask honest questions on how to be inclusive and respectful to others through the lens of spirituality.
If you can’t make it in person, please log-into our livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcF2IF0Kmgw&feature=youtu.be
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