Authorities are still deciding how to characterize the attack in London, Ont., earlier this week that killed four members of the same Muslim family. But for thousands of other Muslim Canadians, there’s only one word that comes to mind: terrorism. And while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that “Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities,” the unfortunate reality is that there are many communities in Canada where anti-Muslim bigotry is already firmly rooted. Those roots seem particularly deep within Canada’s conservative movement. When the federal government tabled a motion to condemn Islamophobia in 2017 in the wake of the horrific Quebec City mosque shooting that killed six people and injured 19 others, all but one participant in the Conservative leadership race (Michael Chong) at the time voted against it. Future leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole openly criticized the motion, while former ministers Kellie Leitch and Chris Alexander appeared at a rally organized by Rebel Media and described by the Toronto Star’s Susan Delacourt as a “hateful free-for-all against ‘political correctness.’” That rally took place at Canada Christian College, the institution run by Charles McVety, who just happens to be a political ally of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. McVety makes no secret of his disdain for Islam and those who practice it, and he’s reportedly argued that “we know that Christians and Jews and Hindus don’t have the same mandate for a hostile takeover.” CONTINUE READING