Trudeau announces Amira Elghawaby as Canada's first representative to combat Islamophobia
CBC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of a special representative on combating Islamophobia that will advise the federal government on how to better fight discrimination against the Muslim community.
Human rights activist Amira Elghawaby will be responsible for serving "as a champion, advisor, expert and representative to support and enhance" the government's efforts, the federal government said in a statement.
"No one in our country should experience hatred because of their faith," Trudeau said in a statement. "The appointment of Ms. Elghawaby as Canada's first Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia is an important step in our fight against Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms."
"I look forward to working with her as we continue building a country where everyone feels safe and respected," Trudeau said.
The federal government announced in June that it was seeking to hire its first Islamophobia representative.
In her new role, Elghawaby will provide policy and legislative advice and proposals and suggest programs and regulations that will be inclusive, the statement explained.
She will also be responsible for shining a "light on the important contributions of Muslims" to Canada.
Elghawaby's role will be funded through the $85 million proposed in the budget over four years, starting in 2022-23, which will also contribute to a new anti-racism strategy and national action plan on combating hate.
Elghawaby currently works as a communications lead for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
A graduate from Carleton University's journalism school, she currently contributes a freelance column to The Toronto Star newspaper.
She has previously worked with the Canadian labour movement on human rights issues, and spent five years promoting civil liberties at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, ending in 2017.
A spokesperson from Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen's office told CBC News she will sit for a four-year term and that her office will have a budget of $5.6 million. The budget says that funding would cover the first five years of the office's operations.
"Elghawaby will use her vast knowledge and experience as a human rights advocate to help guide and reinforce Canada's efforts in addressing anti-Muslim hatred, systemic racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance," said Minister Hussen in a statement.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.
A 56-year-old man will return to court on Tuesday for a charge of second-degree murder, laid in a case London police have called an act of femicide.
The chairman of the committee leading Newfoundland and Labrador's independent review of the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding with Quebec is backing the impartiality of his three-man team.
The province has taken a major step toward restarting its onshore natural gas industry.
Allan Legere, serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Alberta, has been denied a request for full parole.