29th June 2021 – Ontario’s Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced today that the province is going to invest in a plan to fight Islamophobia in the Ontario schools. According to updated data provided by Statistics Canada, the hate crimes in the nation are on the rise. Anti-Muslim attacks have increase 9% in 2019 viz-a-viz the previous year.
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000436/ontario-combatting-islamophobia-in-schools
The recent terror act that took place in London, Ontario in which 4 people of a Muslim family were killed reflects the increasing hate crimes in the nation against Muslims and other South-Asian communities. “It is unacceptable that many Muslim students continue to face discrimination in our schools, on our playgrounds and in communities across this country, that is why we are investing and partnering with community leaders…” said Minister Lecce.
Ontario government is going to give $ 225,000 to Muslim Association of Canada which would utilize these funds to provide information about Islamic practices, values and misconceptions. The province is also going to provide $ 75,000 to National Council of Canadian Muslims for various outreach programs. This comes as a welcome step from the province.
