EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill proclaims January 29 in each year as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.

Bill 83 2019

An Act to proclaim a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia

Preamble

On January 29, 2017, a shooter walked into the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City shortly after the conclusion of evening prayers at about 8 p.m. and murdered six worshippers and injured 19 others.

Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane and Azzedine Soufiane lost their lives that night. Muslim communities across Canada were, and continue to be, traumatized by this act of hate.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the Prime Minister of Canada condemned the act as terrorism and stated in the House of Commons that the six victims were “gunned down by ignorance and hatred, fuelled by Islamophobia and racism”. The leader of the Federal Opposition and the Premier of Quebec also condemned the shooter’s actions as an act of terror. The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police called the shooter a criminal extremist and warned that “caustic” political debate can have deadly consequences.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission states the following with respect to Islamophobia: “Islamophobia can be described as stereotypes, bias or acts of hostility towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general. In addition to individual acts of intolerance and racial profiling, Islamophobia leads to viewing Muslims as a greater security threat on an institutional, systemic and societal level”.

In the aftermath of the Quebec attack, the Ontario Human Rights Commission called on “governments and communities, and each one of us, to ask again, what we can do, what we must do, to eliminate Islamophobia”.

The cities of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Hamilton have all designated January 29 as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. Many municipalities across Canada commemorate the events of January 29 with their Muslim community partners.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia

1 January 29 in each year is proclaimed as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.

Commencement

2 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia Act, 2019.