January 29th, 2024

On January 29, 2017, a gunman entered a mosque in Quebec City and killed six worshippers and injured 19 Muslim Canadians during a prayer service. The Quebec City mosque mass shooting remains the worst mass murder in a house of worship in Canada’s history.

On June 6, 2021, the Afzaal family of London, Ontario were out for a walk when a truck jumped the curve and ran over them. It was a deadly attack that devastated the Muslim community.

Alarmingly, Islamophobia and its tragic consequences are pervasive in communities across Canada. The 2021 Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) statement on the National Summit on Islamophobia reported that in the past five years, more Muslims have been killed in targeted hate attacks in Canada than any other G7 country, because of Islamophobia. In 2022, attacks against Muslims, especially Black Muslim women, remained a threat.

“Black, Muslim women face Islamophobia, in addition to anti-Black racism, Afrophobia and gender-based discrimination and violence,” stated
Dunia Nur, president of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council

Supporting Students and Staff

We know that to succeed academically, staff and students from diverse faith communities need an environment that is:

  • Safe
  • Respectful

The Religious and Creed Accommodation Policy supports academic achievement by eliminating:

  • Discrimination related to creed
  • Harassment related to creed

The WRDSB’s Human Rights Policy is committed to providing working and learning environments that are free of discrimination and harassment, where all individuals:

  • Are treated with respect and dignity
  • Can thrive and fully contribute

Get Involved