Former federal special representative Amira Elghawaby says the 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been a difficult period for Muslims, citing racial profiling, discrimination and what she described as growing Islamophobia.Elghawaby, a former Toronto Star columnist and Liberal government appointee, made the remarks Wednesday while discussing the impact of the post-9/11 era on Canadian Muslims.“Of course, Canadian Muslims like all Canadians stand in solidarity with Americans who lost their loved ones on that tragic day 25 years ago,” said Elghawaby.“Since those 25 years have passed we have seen our communities continue to deal with racial profiling, with suspicion, with having to explain ourselves and having to defend our identities and our religious freedoms and freedom of expression and protect and uphold our civil liberties.”Elghawaby said she believes Muslims continue to face discrimination despite efforts to promote inclusion and human rights.“Unfortunately over the 25 years, rather than continue to see improvement along those lines of inclusion and human rights, unfortunately Canadian Muslims have experienced ongoing discrimination and Islamophobia,” she said.“While it’s been a difficult 25 years on so many levels and specifically with the rise of Islamophobia and hatred, Canadian Muslims continue to have a strong sense that Canada is a place that they are proud to live in.”Blacklock's Reporter said Elghawaby made the comments during a news conference with the National Council of Canadian Muslims concerning a federal boycott of Israeli goods originating from the West Bank.She also addressed what she described as the experiences of Canadian Palestinians.“For years, many in this community have watched their government speak the language of human rights while their own experience — the erasure, the dehumanization, the exhaustion of having to justify their own dignity — went unaddressed,” said Elghawaby.“Anti-Palestinian racism is real. It shows up in our discourse, in our institutions.”.Elghawaby was appointed in 2023 as the federal government’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, a position that paid $191,300 annually.She was dismissed Feb. 4 and the $5.4 million office was subsequently disbanded.Heritage Minister Marc Miller did not provide a specific reason for the decision, telling reporters it was “time to move on.”“This isn’t a cost-saving operation,” Miller said at the time.Her dismissal followed Access To Information disclosures showing Elghawaby had used her position to raise concerns about federal employees who faced professional consequences after making pro-Palestinian statements or participating in protests.“My office is tracking several instances of professional repercussions being levied against individuals who have engaged in peaceful protests,” Elghawaby told a closed meeting of the Muslim Federal Employees Network in 2024.Elghawaby also advocated for accommodations for Muslim employees in federal workplaces, including access to spaces for prayer.“Islamophobia in the workplace looks like many things,” she wrote.“It can manifest when Muslim employees face challenges in accessing reasonable accommodations for religious practices such as prayer breaks, fasting during Ramadan or dress code requirements.”
