The National Council of Canadian Muslims is launching a charter to fight all forms of Islamophobia.
Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee says police-reported hate crimes against Muslims doubled between 2012 and 2014.
"All of this is happening against a backdrop in which we're seeing hate crimes, as an overall trend, decreasing," he explains. "So this is particularly alarming that we see it increasing for Canadian Muslims."
Gardee says the council's been tracking hate crimes for years, and it seems to get worse every time there's a high-profile terrorist attack. Incidents of hate also went up after it was announced that thousands of Syrian refugees would be welcomed into Canada.
The Charter for Inclusive Communities was also announced in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and London on Monday morning.
Gardee's encouraging all Canadians to endorse the charter, and stand up for the rights and dignity of all humans.
Executive Director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims Ihsaan Gardee talks about the Charter for Inclusive Communities. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
