Islamophobia panel discussion coming next week to St. Catharines university

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Published October 20, 2021 at 3:31 pm

It seems since 9/11 some 20 years ago, the spectre of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred has been on the front-burner.

While considered to be mostly an American problem, it was just back in June when four members of a Muslim family were struck and killed by a vehicle in London, Ontario, in what’s been called by many an act of terror.

Meaning simply, if it’s in the US, it’s in Canada, as well.

To that end, an upcoming webinar “Reversing the Rise of Anti-Muslim Hate and Dismantling Islamophobia” at Brock University in St. Catharines, being presented by Brock’s Anti-Racism Task Force, will take a hard look at the disturbing issue and why it’s still prevalent.

The online event, being presented October 27 at 11 am via the university’s Microsoft Teams, will explore the causes of this religious-based intolerance and propose strategies for mitigating this kind of racism.

Guest speakers at the 45-minute panel discussion will include Leenat Jilani, Associate Lawyer at Kutty and Associates; Andre Basson, former Brock chaplain and Adjunct Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Studies; Usman Raja, Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources at Brock’s Goodman School of Business; and Samah Marei, Instructor, Niagara College.

The four panelists will be looking specifically at the rising trend of hate crimes specifically targeting Muslims in Canada, as well as explain what survivors can do when they are attacked and what concrete steps Canadian society can take to curb this alarming extremism.

Following their panel, there will be a 15-minute question-and-answer session with viewers.

(Photo courtesy of Wilfred Laurier University)

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