ISLAM IN CANADA
The Muslim Experience in Canada Despite various challenges, a large majority of Muslim Canadians are proud of their national identity
EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION/UNFAIR TREATMENT – PAST FIVE YEARS
BY KEITH NEUMAN
U
ntil fairly recently, Muslims were just one of the many parts of Canada’s multicultural mosaic. The first recorded Muslim family arrived from Scotland in the early 1850s. Over the past two decades the Muslim population has grown dramatically, and by 2011 had passed the one million mark; Muslims now make up more than 3% of Canada’s population and represent one of the fastest growing religious groups. The Muslim community has been a poorly understood religious minority in Western countries and in the past two decades, in the wake of 9/11 and certain unfamiliar religious practices (e.g., Sharia, the niqab), their presence has become contentious. Canada has not experienced the ethnic violence and terrorist attacks as in other parts of the world, and by global standards, it is a welcoming multicultural society. But the Muslim community faces unique challenges with respect to religious freedom, acceptance by the broader society and national security profiling. In 2019, the Quebec government adopted legislation banning public workers in positions of “authority” from wearing religious symbols while they are on duty; a law, which effectively targets Muslim women who wear head and/or face coverings. Much of the problem stems from the fact that Muslims are not well understood by other Canadians, whose impressions are formed largely through simplistic stereotypes emphasizing
negative characteristics (violent extremism, honor killings). The result is a dominant narrative of Muslims as different from others and who resist the adoption of “Canadian values,” which makes them threatening and untrustworthy. What is it like to be a Muslim in Canada, and what is it like for other Canadians to have Muslims living in their communities? In surveys conducted in 2006 and 2016, the nonprofit Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with Muslims and non-Muslim organizations, addressed these questions. The research looked at how Muslims experience life in this country and how other Canadians view them (for details, see https://www.environicsinstitute.org/projects/ project-details/survey-of-muslims-in-canada-2016).
RESEARCH FINDINGS
How well do Muslims feel accepted in Canada today? Despite pervasive reporting of violence and terrorism abroad in the name of Islam, as well as stereotyping of religious and cultural practices in Canada, Muslims are more likely than not to feel their non-Muslim compatriots broadly accept their religion. A small majority believes that other Canadians have a generally positive impression of Islam and that relatively few non-Muslims are openly hostile to their community; this view has strengthened since 2006. In comparative terms, a large and growing majority of Muslim Canadians agrees that they are better treated than their
38 ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
coreligionists in other Western countries (84%, versus only 2% who believe they are treated worse). In fact, most non-Muslim Canadians surveyed are more positive than negative in their general impression of Islam, although such opinions have not measurably improved over the past decade.
CANADIAN MAINSTREAM OPINION OF THE RELIGION OF ISLAM
At the same time, discrimination and stereotyping continue to be a difficult reality for Muslim Canadians and is of particular concern to women and youth. One-third of Muslim Canadians have experienced discrimination in the past five years, due primarily to one’s religion or ethnicity. This is well above the levels of mistreatment experienced by the general population. Such negative experiences occur in a variety of settings, most commonly in the workplace, in public spaces, in retail establishments and in schools and universities. One in four Muslims has encountered difficulties crossing borders irrespective of gender, age and country of birth. Moreover, opinions about prospects for a better future are mixed, and it is Muslims under 35 who are the least optimistic.
How are religious identity and practice influenced by the Canadian context? Canada is among the most secular of countries, which can present challenges for immigrants with non-Western religious traditions. Muslims are among the country’s most religiously observant groups, and their religious identity and practices appear to be strengthening as their lives evolve in Canada. Being Muslim is a very important part of the identity for most Muslims, and comparatively stronger than for members of other major religious groups in Canada. Religious observance among Muslims has strengthened over the past decade. An increasing number are attending mosques for prayers on a regular basis (at least once a week) and (among women) are wearing the hijab. These trends are most noticeable among Muslims 18 to 34 years of age, in contrast with the broader trend in Canadian society where youth are turning away from organized religion.
FREQUENCY OF ATTENDING MOSQUE OR MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER FOR PRAYER
Consistent with the importance placed on religious practice,
