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Montreal, July 17, 2026 — The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) strongly condemns the hate-motivated assault against a Palestinian Muslim family in Thunder Bay on Canada Day. According to reports, a man of Palestinian descent was walking with his wife, two young children, and his 63-year-old mother when the family was allegedly targeted with anti-Muslim slurs and obscenities, including “f*** Muslims,” before the incident escalated into violence. The ARPCF expresses its solidarity with the family and wishes the injured victim a full recovery.

This attack must be understood as both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. The family was reportedly targeted while two women in the family were visibly Muslim, but the incident also occurred in a climate where Palestinians and those perceived to be Palestinian, Arab, or Muslim are increasingly treated as legitimate targets of hostility. Anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia often converge through the racist assumption that Palestinian identity, Muslim identity, and support for Palestinian human rights are inherently suspect, foreign, or threatening. “Such violence does not emerge in isolation; it is enabled by public discourse that dehumanizes Palestinians and normalizes suspicion toward Muslim communities.” said Jamila Ewais; Lead Researcher of the ARPCF.

The assault of a Palestinian Muslim family walking with children and an elderly parent is a horrifying reminder that anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia have real and immediate consequences for families in Canada. When Palestinian suffering is minimized, when Muslims are vilified, and when political leaders fail to confront anti-Palestinian racism with the same urgency as other forms of hate, communities are left exposed to threats, harassment, and violence.

The ARPCF welcomes the involvement of the Thunder Bay Police Service’s hate crime unit and calls for a thorough, transparent, and trauma-informed investigation. We urge public officials at all levels to condemn this incident clearly and to recognize the structural nature of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. Protecting affected communities requires more than criminal charges after violence occurs; it requires sustained public education, stronger anti-racism policies, support for victims, and a commitment to challenging the political and media narratives that make Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and their families feel unsafe in public life.

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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