Toronto launched a new public education campaign today to raise awareness about Islamophobia and “remind Torontonians that acceptance comes without exceptions”.
The latest ‘Toronto For All’ campaign, which calls on Torontonians to both confront and eliminate Islamophobia, will appear on transit shelters as well as the city’s social media channels and website.
“I am proud to lend my support to this initiative as I believe it has the potential to make a profound impact on reducing Islamophobia in our city,” said Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie. “The Community Advisory Council, consisting of diverse Muslim community members and leaders, offered their invaluable expertise and insights to the outstanding creative team. Through their unwavering dedication, they worked together, across and through differences, alongside the committed staff, to shape this campaign and make it truly representative of our shared goals.”
The City collaborated with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and a Community Advisory Council made up of diverse Muslim community members, educators and leaders to develop “a meaningful and impactful” the anti-Islamophobia design concept.
“The final campaign design highlights the need for Torontonians to accept without exceptions, celebrating and respecting the faith and cultural practices of Muslims in Toronto,” city officials said in a news release.
Information and resources about Islamophobia and what Torontonians can do to end it, are available on the ‘Toronto For All’ campaign webpage.
This is the 13th ‘Toronto For All’ campaign launched by the City in partnership with community partners and organizations. The goal of the public education initiative is to generate dialogue amongst Toronto residents to create a city that says no to all forms of discrimination and racism. Previous campaigns have focussed on topics including anti-East Asian racism, anti-Black racism, ageism and anti-Semitism.
Aasiyah Khan, NCCM’s Director of Education Programs, says that experiences of Islamophobia are not a rare occurrence for Muslims in Toronto and across Canada and hopes the campaign will make a difference.
“We are thrilled to stand with the City of Toronto as we launch a campaign, that we hope will encourage reflection and inspire people to work together to push back against Islamophobia and all forms of hate and racism,” Khan stated.
