Justice committee to study antisemitism, Islamophobia on and off university campuses

A parliamentary committee has voted to conduct studies of antisemitism and Islamophobia on and off university campuses and propose ways to tackle the problem.

"The Jewish community in Canada is feeling frightened to a level that I have never seen," Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told the justice committee after introducing his motion Thursday.

"What is happening is people expressing their fears to me, wondering if they are safe in this country, wondering if they have a future in this country, which I never in my life believed would happen in Canada."

Housefather's motion asked the committee to study antisemitism on and off university campuses. The members of the committee passed an amendment to that motion to include Islamophobia.

The motion directs the justice committee to "undertake a study on the issue of antisemitism and a study on the issue of Islamophobia and the additional measures that could be taken to address the valid fears that are being expressed by Canada's Jewish and Muslim communities."

The amended motion will see MPs hold two meetings to address antisemitism and two to address Islamophobia.

Once their reports have been completed, they will be referred to the House of Commons. The motion asks that the Liberal government table an official response.

Halifax West Liberal MP Lena Metlege Diab, the committee chair, said the committee wants to start hearing from witnesses as soon as possible.

Antisemitism in Canada vs. the U.S.

"We need to hear from Universities Canada, from the presidents of universities, what they are doing to protect Jewish students, and we need to hear from Jewish students as to what they're experiencing on campus," Housefather told the committee.

Housefather said he also wants the committee to look at "the demonstrations that are happening and the lack of policing related to those demonstrations" which target Jewish-owned and operated businesses and buildings.

Housefather told the committee that while antisemitism is on the rise around the globe, he worries most about its effects in Canada.

"I don't see that, frankly, when I am in the United States anywhere near as much," he said. "Antisemitism is happening everywhere in the world but the perception of the community in Canada is drastically different than what I find south of the border."

Conservative MP Ed Fast spoke just before the motion was passed. He said he supports Housefather's efforts.

"This is not a Canada that I grew up with," Fast said. "It shouldn't be the Canada that we have going forward and I hope this study will allow us to identify additional alternatives for addressing this very pernicious problem within our society."