Montreal, March 24, 2025— The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) strongly condemns the violent Islamophobic attack on a Muslim woman wearing a hijab at the Ajax Public Library on March 22, 2025. This horrifying assault, which occurred during Ramadan—a sacred time of reflection and peace—was not only an attack on one individual but on the safety, dignity, and rights of all Muslim women across Canada. According to police, the attacker hurled profanities, threw objects, attempted to forcibly remove the victim’s hijab, and tried to set it on fire.
“This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of systemic Islamophobia that Muslim women continue to face across Canada,” said Jamila Ewais, Lead researcher of the ARPCF. “Muslim women are Canadian women too, and like all Canadian women they deserve to feel safe and included everywhere in this country no matter what they wear—not to live with fear and exclusion as their daily reality,” added Ewais.
“This incident has sparked outrage throughout the Canadian Muslim community. We are demanding the attack to be investigated as a hate crime. However, legal recourse alone is not enough because this isn’t an isolated incident. This moment demands systemic change, including supporting educational programs to combat Islamophobia and strengthening public safety measures in spaces where Muslims gather,” Ewais said.
In 2015, police across the country recorded 159 hate crimes targeted at Muslims, up from 45 in 2012, representing an increase of 253%. A 2018 survey by EKOS Research Associates confirmed that religious discrimination—especially Islamophobia—remains a significant challenge in Canada. Additionally, a 2023 Senate committee report highlighted that Muslim women, particularly Black Muslim women, are the most vulnerable to Islamophobic attacks. These statistics underscore the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect Muslim women and address the systemic biases that perpetuate such violence.
Canada has a longstanding problem with Islamophobia and it’s woven throughout the fabric of Canadian societal structures. As highlighted by the United Nations and Canadian Senate reports, Islamophobia is not only driven by individual prejudice but is sustained by political rhetoric, media stereotypes, and institutional discrimination. Too many public institutions have long signaled to Canadians that Muslim women’s lives are not only less valuable than everyone else’s lives but are a threat to the values of Canada. Muslim women—especially those easily identified by their hijab—are among the most visible and frequent targets. They are stereotyped as oppressed, dangerous, or foreign and routinely face threats, harassment, and exclusion in public, at school, and in the workplace. This dehumanization fuels the kind of violent assault witnessed in Ajax and reflects a broader culture that tolerates, and at times enables, hate.
The ARPCF urges all levels of government to act decisively. We call for full enforcement of the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code to protect Muslims from harassment and discrimination. A national strategy to address gendered Islamophobia is urgently needed—one that includes funding for Muslim women’s organizations, mandatory anti-racism training in public institutions, and stronger systems for reporting and addressing all hate crimes.
About the ARPCF – The mandate of the Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) is to create public awareness about racism in Canada. This mandate falls in line with the Foundation’s broader purpose of monitoring and combating manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination by increasing public awareness of such biases.
For more information, please contact Jamila Ewais, 514-389-8668
ARPCF, [email protected] www.cjpmefoundation.org
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