Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, and Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education, have released the following statement for the National Summit on Islamophobia, hosted by the Government of Canada on Thursday, July 22, 2021:

"Over the past year, we’ve seen a significant increase in hateful attacks against Muslims across Canada. In June, the cowardly attack in London, Ontario shocked the country, taking the lives of four members of the community and leaving a son without a family.

"In B.C., we’ve also seen a rise in anti-Muslim comments on social media, women attacked by white supremacists for wearing a hijab, and just last week, Islamophobic slogans were graffitied across a block in Surrey-Newton. This is unacceptable and cannot continue.

"Government has a moral and ethical obligation to dismantle racism. We are committed to tackling hatred and discrimination of all kinds in B.C., but we know we must back it up with real action.

"We have committed to introduce a new anti-racism act to make B.C. a safer, more welcoming and equitable province for everyone, regardless of their race, skin colour or faith. As well, we’ll introduce anti-racism data legislation, to provide better and more equitable services to communities.

"And while government works on these priorities, we know communities that are experiencing racism and hate right now can’t wait.

For more read:

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0047-001422