Stopping Hate and Protecting Our Institutions
Protecting Muslim communities from Islamophobia through legal action and advocacy against hate crime laws.
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Stopping Hate and Protecting Our Institutions
On January 29, 2017, a lone gunman entered the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, killing six and injuring many more.
The impact was profound, leaving 17 children fatherless, six wives widowed, and communities nationwide affected. It remains the deadliest mass murder in a Canadian house of worship.
Only a few years later, a man with apparent ties to a white supremacist cult walked up to the IMO Mosque and stabbed a mosque caretaker to death.
Hate crimes targeting Muslims have surged across Canada, with mosques, Islamic centres, and schools increasingly becoming targets of vandalism, threats, and violence.
From the Quebec City Mosque shooting to the 2021 white supremacist terror attack in London, Ontario, deadly Islamophobia threatens the safety and dignity of our communities. Our community institutions are more than just physical spaces—they are the heart of Canada’s Muslim community.
NCCM is committed to ensuring that every institution serving Canada’s Muslim community is protected from hate and harm. Through advocacy, legal action, and direct support, we aim to strengthen hate crime laws, secure funding for institutional safety, and foster education to challenge the root causes of Islamophobia.
If we fail to address these challenges, hate will continue to escalate, leading to further attacks on mosques and other Muslim institutions. Community members will lose trust in their safety and the ability to gather and worship freely.
The consequences will extend beyond Muslims, fostering division while undermining Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism.
This is why we have pushed for broad improvements to the Security and Infrastructure Programs (SIPs) at the federal and provincial levels, to make sure that governments in Canada play a positive role in improving the security of our institutions.
NCCM HAS SUCCESSFULLY PUSHED FOR:
- A new and improved version of the federal Security Infrastructure Program that cuts administrative burdens and extends coverage to things like security guards.
- A provincial security program in Ontario that has a simple application process and that allows mosques to get coverage as soon as they are at risk.
- Commitments to take action from federal, provincial, and municipal leaders to end attacks on our institutions.
PICTURED: Man entering Mississauga, Ontario's Dar Al Tawheed Masjid with bear spray and weapons
IMPACT STATS
41%
The percentage by which attacks on religious property increased between 2017 – 2018.
11
Number of months that took for the London Muslim Mosque to get security infrastructure funding after the Terror Attack in 2021 took away members of their congregation.
6
People lost their lives during the Quebec City Mosque massacre. Canadian Muslims have been looking over their shoulder ever since.
A SNAPSHOT | Our Work
2016 - NCCM Helped Expand Federal SIP Program After Dialogue with Public Safety Canada
On November 28th, after months of engagement with NCCM, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale made the announcement in Parliament to improve the SIP program, referencing a spate of anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and racist vandalism that took place in Ottawa.
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the representations made by…the National Council of Canadian Muslims and others; there is no place for racist and hateful conduct like we’ve seen sadly in recent weeks,” said Minister Goodale.
The program was expanded to provide up to half of all security-related costs for houses of worship, schools, and community centres used by communities at risk of being targeted in hate crimes.
2019 - NCCM Successfully Pushed for SIP reform
Since the events of the Quebec City Mosque shooting, Canadian Muslims felt on edge when going to pray at their local mosques.
Many Canadians felt that the SIP, while an important program, did not go far enough in ensuring the protection of Canadians of all faith communities when they went to worship.
That is why we advocated for SIP reform for months, and were finally pleased to see many of our recommendations implemented. NCCM was present at the announcement with Minister Goodale.
2021 - NCCM Launched Summit Recommendations on SIP
In NCCM’s 2021 National Summit Recommendations, we pushed for significant amendments to the SIP program – especially to eliminate bureaucratic delays that made it challenging for mosques to receive support and funding.
We have made significant improvements, but we are working on having all our asks fully realized.
2022 - NCCM Conducted Successful Campaign on Ontario Security Infrastructure Program
On the morning of April 6, 2023, an individual walked into the Islamic Society of Markham (ISM) on Denison Street in Markham, Ontario and directed racist and Islamophobic slurs toward worshippers.
The individual, upon exiting the mosque, then attempted to run over or strike worshippers with his vehicle.
The ISM noted that the attack happened during the month of Ramadan, when the mosque was particularly busy.
We called for the Government of Ontario to take action on building an effective provincial security infrastructure program where security guards could be covered.
We were successful in our ask and stood with the Minister at the announcement only a few weeks later.
OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE STILL AT RISK
Everyone in Canada should feel safe, whether you worship at a mosque a church or a synagogue.
Help us keep places of worship safe.
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Unjust laws change when voices come together. By sending an email today, you help push for stronger policies to combat Islamophobia and discrimination.
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