QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement regarding action on anti-Islamophobia:
“We can’t afford to play political games with an issue as serious as Islamophobia.
So I’m calling on my fellow leaders to work across party lines. I am ready to support efforts focused on providing meaningful change and urgent action to fight hate.
I’m encouraged to hear reports that the government has agreed to work with party members on passing an anti-Islamophobia motion. It should never have been defeated the first time around.
An all-party solution to combat Islamophobia in our province is what we need. No more pointing fingers. This issue is bigger than politics. It’s bigger than each of us.
Ontarians, especially the Muslim community, are devastated from this week’s tragedy.
And the only way we can take tangible action is if we put politics aside and make real progress on tackling hate and Islamophobia here and now.
It is all of our responsibility to stand up against rising levels of white supremacy.
I’m calling on all parties to support calls for a comprehensive national anti-Islamophobia strategy and provincial actions that include:
- Increasing funding and support for education and awareness events, such as the Muslim Soceity of Guelph’s Building Bridges Across Communities event;
- Updating law enforcement codes to include a specific law against hate crimes;
- Immediately creating a taskforce to determine how best to crack down on movements that promote anti-Muslim discrimination, hate and white supremacy.
We need urgent action to address the anti-Muslim hate that motivated this horrific targeted murder and act of terror.
Islamophobia and hate should have no place in Ontario. We need to root it out and ensure all Ontarians feel safe and valued as they should be.”