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Canadian Interfaith Conversation Statements on Antisemitism & Islamophobia

6 hours ago
1 min read

Interfaith Grand River endorses the statements of our colleagues at the national interfaith organization Canadian Interfaith Conversation about Antisemitism and Islamophobia. This follows our recent Steering Committee meeting where we discussed Antisemitism.

STATEMENT AGAINST ANTISEMITISM
Canadian Interfaith Conversation stands for the promise of dignity, freedom of
worship and safety for all.
In the Greater Toronto Area, three synagogues—Temple Emanu-El,
Shaarei Shomayim, and Beth Avraham Yoseph—were struck by gunfire within
days of one another in March 2026, targeted because they are Jewish houses
of worship. Jewish schools, businesses, and community centres have been
repeatedly vandalized and attacked. These acts of antisemitism and hatemotivated crimes against Canada's Jewish community are not isolated
incidents. They are part of a Canadian crisis of antisemitic violence.
The Canadian Interfaith Conversation unequivocally condemn these attacks
and stands in solidarity with our fellow Jewish Canadians in the face of this
rising tide of antisemitism.
Jewish Canadians are the most targeted religious group in this country, and
the attacks are accelerating. Jewish Canadians make up less than 1.5% of the
population but are targets of 68% of all religion-motivated hate crimes
nationally—more than any other religious group.1
In the past year, antisemitic
attacks represented 82% of all hate crimes in Toronto alone.2 Antisemitic
acts have more than doubled since 2022, reaching a record 6,800 reported
incidents in 2025.3 History has shown us where this trajectory leads. Canada
must not be a country where Jewish people fear for their lives — but that is
the reality many Jewish Canadians are living today.
Every faith tradition in the Canadian Interfaith Conversation calls us to honour
the dignity of every human being and to speak out against this injustice. Love
unites; hate divides. Antisemitism is a profound moral wrong, incompatible
with both our faith and with Canadian values. We urge all faith communities
to come together in the spirit of collaboration, to resist hatred, and never to
allow belief to justify hostility toward any person.
There is more that unites us than divides us. To every Jewish Canadian: you
are not alone. We see what is happening. We condemn it. And we will stand
with you.

STATEMENT AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA
The Canadian Interfaith Conversation promotes harmony and religious
insight among religions and religious communities in Canada and works for
greater realization of the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion for
the sake of the common good.
Recently, faith communities across British Columbia were deeply troubled by
the reported assault on Imam Ebrahim Ali outside his mosque in Victoria.
This followed shocking vandalism of mosques in Aylmer, Quebec, and
Mississauga, Ontario. While authorities continue their investigations, these
incidents serve as reminders that acts of hatred, intimidation, and violence
directed at individuals because of their faith continue to affect communities
across Canada. Such incidents create fear and anxiety not only for those
directly affected but also for the wider community.
Without reservation, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation condemns these
attacks and stands in solidarity with Muslim Canadians in a time of
widespread Islamophobia.
Mosques, Islamic schools, community organizations, and Muslim families
have faced threats, vandalism, harassment, and violence. Statistics Canada
reported a 94% increase in police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslims in
2023, reminding us that Islamophobia remains a serious challenge affecting
the safety, dignity, and well-being of Muslim communities across Canada.
This month also marks the fifth anniversary of the London, Ontario, attack
that claimed the lives of the Afzaal family. The impact of the attack continues
to be felt by Muslim communities across Canada.
As people of faith, we recognize that behind every statistic is a human story—
a family seeking safety, a child seeking belonging, a congregation gathering in
prayer, and neighbours wishing to live free from fear. Our diverse religious
traditions teach the sacred worth and dignity of every human being. We
affirm that when one faith community is targeted, all communities are
diminished.
To our Muslim neighbours and fellow Canadians: you are not alone. We see
your concerns. We share your grief. We condemn these acts of hatred. We
stand with you in friendship, solidarity, and hope.

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