Internal federal records show Muslim observances now outnumber Christian holy days on a commemorative calendar maintained by the Immigration and Refugee Board, reflecting what officials describe as a broader focus on diversity, equity and accessibility.Blacklock's Reporter says according to a January 14 memo obtained through Access to Information, the board’s Commemorative Dates Calendar outlines events to be marked throughout the year, including some recognized through national virtual events. “The calendar includes inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility related dates,” the memo stated.The calendar identifies five Christian observances: Christmas, Orthodox Christmas, Easter, Orthodox Easter and Nayrouz, a Sept. 11 observance marked by Coptic Christians.By comparison, eight Muslim-related observances appear: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29; Canadian Islamic History Month in October; Eid al-Adha; Eid al-Fitr; International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15; Ramadan; Imamat Day; and the National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia on Jan. 29.Census data indicate there are approximately 1.8 million Muslims in Canada, compared to 19.3 million Christians. As recently as 1985, Muslims were categorized as “other” in a federal General Social Survey due to their relatively small numbers..Religious affiliation data show 10.9 million Catholics, 1.2 million United Church members, 1.1 million Anglicans, 612,000 Orthodox Christians, 437,000 Baptists, 399,000 Pentecostals, 328,000 Lutherans, 301,000 Presbyterians, 137,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses, 101,000 Methodists and 88,000 Mormons. Non-Christian faith communities include 828,000 Hindus, 772,000 Sikhs, 356,000 Buddhists and 335,000 Jews.Statistics Canada projected in a 2017 report that Canada’s religious composition would shift significantly by 2036. Christians, who made up about 90% of the population in the 1981 Census, were projected to decline to roughly 52%. The Muslim population was forecast to nearly double to 2.8 million by 2036, according to Immigration and Diversity: Population Projections For Canada And Its Regions 2011 To 2036.A separate report released Oct. 30 examining Canada’s Arab population found that 70% identified as Muslim and were concentrated primarily in Montréal, Toronto and Ottawa. From 2015 to 2020, refugees were the largest group of Arab immigrants, largely due to arrivals fleeing the Syrian conflict. In 2020, 27% of Arabs in Canada were under the age of 15.The figures were drawn from 2021 Census responses in which individuals self-identified as Arab or provided write-in responses such as Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian or Saudi Arabian, according to Portrait Of The Arab Population In Canada.
