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Meet Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s First Anti-Islamophobia Advisor
Along with appearances on Canadian and international news networks, Amira has written and produced stories and commentary for CBC Radio, the Ottawa Citizen, Maclean’s, the Walrus, the Literary Review of Canada, and the Globe and Mail.
Toronto: Canada has appointed its first special representative on combatting Islamophobia as the government seeks to stem hatred and discrimination after a series of attacks targeting members of Muslim communities in the country in recent years.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that 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 in the fight against Islamophobia.
“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.
Who is Amira Elghawaby
- Amira is an expert on issues of media representation, diversity and inclusion, hate crimes, human rights, and civic engagement.
- Along with appearances on Canadian and international news networks, Amira has written and produced stories and commentary for CBC Radio, the Ottawa Citizen, Maclean’s, the Walrus, the Literary Review of Canada, and the Globe and Mail.
- She is currently a contributing columnist for the Toronto Star.
- In 2016, she led a project with New Canadian Media creating Canada’s first Ethnic Media and Diversity Style Guide.
- Amira recently joined the Canadian Race Relations Foundation where she is leading its programming and outreach.
- Prior to that, Amira worked in Canada’s labour movement in communications and human rights.
- She also previously spent five years promoting the civil liberties of Canadian Muslims at the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) between 2012 to the fall of 2017.
- Amira was a writer-in-residence at the 2019 Literary Arts Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her 2019 TEDXOttawa talk is titled “Multiculturalism: Worth Defending”.
Muslims Attacked in Canada
Over the past few years, a series of deadly attacks have targeted Canada’s Muslim community.
In June 2021, four members of a Muslim family were killed when a man ran them over with his truck in London, Ontario.
Four years earlier, six Muslims died and five were injured in an attack on a Quebec City mosque.
In a series of tweets Thursday, Elghawaby listed the names of those killed in the recent attacks, adding: “We must never forget.”
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