A Rise of Islamophobia

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A Rise of Islamophobia in Canada

In just the last month, we’ve received reports of eight separate hate-fueled assaults against Muslims in Ontario.

04 Temmuz 2025, Cuma

Muslim advocacy groups and legal experts are sounding the alarm over what they are calling a state of emergency, as a sharp increase in Islamophobic incidents has been reported across the province.

In the span of just one month, at least eight separate hate-motivated attacks targeting Muslims have been reported in Ontario alone. The incidents include physical assaults, verbal abuse, and acts of public humiliation, raising fears within the Muslim community and overwhelming legal support organizations.

One of the most disturbing incidents occurred this week in Oshawa, where a young Muslim woman wearing a hijab was physically attacked by a group of teenagers while working at a pizza shop. Witnesses say her hijab was violently torn off, and she was kicked in the head, leaving her injured. Durham Police are currently investigating the case as a potential hate crime.

Other reported incidents include:

A Muslim woman was allegedly forced to remove her hijab publicly at Pearson Airport by Flair Airlines staff

A Brown Muslim Lyft driver was verbally assaulted and accused of being a terrorist and planting bombs by a passenger, and the police asked if he had planted bombs in the vehicle.

A hijabi sister was punched in the head on the TTC who she suffered a concussion.

A Muslim grandfather and granddaughter were spat on in a restaurant in Ottawa while being told, “this is what I think of you.”

“These are not isolated incidents—they represent a deeply troubling trend,” said a spokesperson from a leading Muslim legal advocacy organization. “This is not just a list. This is a state of emergency. We are being inundated with reports, and we simply don’t have the resources to keep up.”

Despite the wave of hate, recent legal victories show that advocacy and community support can make a difference.

Last week in British Columbia, a Muslim man successfully challenged the revocation of his personalized license plate, which read “AL QUDS” — the Arabic name for Jerusalem. The plate was cancelled by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) following complaints deemed to be rooted in anti-Palestinian sentiment.

Following intervention by legal and government affairs teams, ICBC issued an apology, reinstated the plate, and reimbursed all associated fees.

“This win shows what’s possible when we are resourced and supported,” said the organization. “But we are stretched to the limit.”