By Canadian Press

Muslims leaders say anti-Palestinian racism is casting a chill on free speech

Aug 6, 2025 | 10:44 AM

OTTAWA — Public and private institutions are violating the speech rights of those speaking out against Israel’s war in Gaza, say Muslim leaders who are calling for official government recognition of anti-Palestinian racism.

York University professor Nadia Hasan says schools and employers are linking Palestinian culture with terrorism and retaliating against people already traumatized by the war in Gaza.

Hasan, who runs the Islamophobia Research Hub, says there has not been enough prosecution or public pushback in response to incidents of anti-Muslim hate, which further emboldens those committing violence.

Her group has released a report that says corporations were quick to issue statements of support for Jewish Canadians after the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, but have not spoken out about Israeli policies causing mass death and hunger.

Amira Elghawaby, Ottawa’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, says students are being bullied or officially punished for wearing a traditional scarf called a kaffiyeh, or for posting a Palestinian flag on social media.

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The report urges all levels of government to officially recognize anti-Palestinian racism and calls on Ottawa to crack down on foreign interference that targets Muslims in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press