How Canada’s Muslims face ‘perfect storm’ amid rising xenophobia

Toronto, Canada – Ahmed* has made the trip to and from his local mosque in the heart of Canada’s largest city hundreds of times. That’s partly why what happened to him and his family during this year’s Muslim holy month of Ramadan was so unexpected. It was shortly after midnight in mid-March when the 14-year-old, his parents and his siblings were walking down the street after night prayers at the Toronto Islamic Centre. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list Suddenly, without warning or provocation, a man began hurling racist insults at them before grabbing Ahmed by the collar and pushing him violently. Ahmed – who asked to use a pseudonym – says his two-year-old sister began to cry. “They were really traumatised,” he told Al Jazeera in mid-April, referring to his younger siblings. It was the first time he had spoken publicly about the incident. Ahmed grappled with what had happened. “It was really scary. I wasn’t able to sleep,” he says. While the attack outside the Toronto Islamic Centre drew some local headlines and mosque leaders said an arrest was made, community members and experts have questioned whether this incident and others like it are being treated seriously enough. They also warn that a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment is blending with anti-Muslim racism in Canada, leaving Muslim community members vulnerable and at heightened risk of violence. …