THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
EDMONTON, Thursday, September 8, 2022
(16)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day at 9:10 a.m. MT, in the Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Sandman Signature Downtown Edmonton, the chair, the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Arnot, Ataullahjan, Jaffer, Martin and Simons (5).
Participating in the meeting: Mireille Aubé, Procedural Clerk, and Lyne Héroux, Logistics Officer, Committees Directorate; Robert Mason and Brendan Naef, analysts, Library of Parliament; Amely Coulombe, Senate Events Coordinator, Communications Directorate.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, the committee continued its study of such issues as may arise from time to time relating to human rights generally. (Topic: Islamophobia in Canada)
WITNESSES:
The National Council of Canadian Muslims:
Said Omar, Alberta Advocacy Officer.
African Canadian Civic Engagement Council:
Dunia Nur, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton:
Jibril Ibrahim, Chairperson.
As individuals:
Rod Loyola, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Ellerslie, Poet, and Spoken Word Artist;
Yasmeen Abu-Laban, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights and Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, University of Alberta;
Farha Shariff, Senior Advisor for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization, on behalf of the Dean's office, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta;
Houssem Ben Lazreg, Professor of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, University of Alberta;
Bashir Ahmed Mohamed.
At 9:13 a.m., pursuant to the declaration of June 13, 2022, and to subsection 13(2) of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators, the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan withdrew from the committee meeting for the duration of the proceedings with the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
At 9:14 a.m., the Honourable Senator Jaffer took the chair.
Rod Loyola, Said Omar, Dunia Nur and Yasmeen Abu-Laban each made a statement and answered questions.
At 10:07 a.m., the committee suspended.
At 10:19 a.m., the committee resumed.
At 10:19 a.m., the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan resumed the chair.
Jibril Ibrahim, Farha Shariff, Houssem Ben Lazreg and Bashir Ahmed Mohamed each made a statement and answered questions.
At 11:32 a.m., the chair informed the committee of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
It was agreed that the committee suspend its proceedings.
At 11:33 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Sébastien Payet
Clerk of the Committee