| Canadian PM to appoint special representative to help combat Islamophobia
Staff Report
Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday has welcomed his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau’s condemnation of Islamophobia and his plan to appoint a special representative to combat it.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, the premier stated that he welcomed “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s unequivocal condemnation of Islamophobia” as well as his plan to appoint a representative to “combat this contemporary scourge”.
PM Imran maintained that Trudeau’s “timely” call to action resonated with what he himself had “long argued” for.
“Let us join hands to put an end to this menace,” he added.
On Saturday, the Canadian premier announced that he intended to appoint a special representative to combat Islamophobia. “Islamophobia is unacceptable. Full stop,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We need to put an end to this hate and make our communities safer for Muslim Canadians,” PM Trudeau further stated.
According to a notice by the government of Canada, the appointment of the representative comes on the eve of the five-year anniversary of the attack on the Quebec Mosque, where six Muslims lost their lives.
The special representative’s appointment was one of the recommendations put forward during a virtual National Summit on Islamophobia in July and will be an additional step in the Canadian government’s ongoing work to tackle Islamophobia in all its forms through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday said that Islamophobia is not acceptable at any cost and vowed to make his country safer for Muslims.
Taking to Twitter, the Canadian premier wrote: “Islamophobia is unacceptable. Full stop. We need to put an end to this hate and make our communities safer for Muslim Canadians. To help with that, we intend to appoint a Special Representative on combatting Islamophobia.”
On Saturday, the Canadian Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen highlighted the federal government’s intention to appoint a special representative on combatting Islamophobia, saying that “this appointment will be part of a renewed Government of Canada Anti-Racism Strategy,” a statement issued by the Government of Canada said.
Last year, the Canadian government had announced its intention to make January 29 a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.
“This year, on the eve of the five-year anniversary of this act of terror, the Government of Canada stands with and supports Muslim communities across Canada and reaffirms its commitment to take action to denounce and tackle Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence,” the statement said.
Islamophobia is a concrete and daily reality for Muslim communities across Canada and around the world, it read, adding that “As we honour the victims, we must remember that we have a responsibility to combat discrimination and continue to build a more inclusive Canada.”
“That is why the federal government held a virtual National Summit on Islamophobia in July 2021. The special representative appointment is one of the recommendations put forward during the Summit and will be an additional step in the government’s ongoing work through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to tackle Islamophobia in all its forms.”
