Mark Carney’s first days as Prime Minister will set the tone for Canada’s future—and for how seriously he takes the voices of the Canadian Muslim community.
The question is, will Prime Minister Carney deliver, or risk losing the Canadian Muslim vote in the upcoming election, where the Muslim community has significant presence in key swing ridings?
Justin Trudeau’s legacy is marked by empty rhetoric and moral failures, most glaringly in Canada’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
As Israel shatters the ceasefire, killing more than 500 Palestinians in a single night of attacks on Gaza, Mark Carney cannot follow Trudeau’s path of inaction. He must distinguish himself from Trudeau and take a stand. Prime Minister Carney, you cannot claim neutrality in the face of genocide.
Israel does not have the right to break the ceasefire and commit mass killings. If Hamas had been the one to break it, the global reaction would have been immediate and unrelenting. This attack was unprovoked, unjustifiable, and must not be treated as a political maneuver or bargaining chip in negotiations. The international community cannot allow this to happen again
Under Trudeau, Canada has stood silent while Palestinians endure siege, starvation, and relentless violence. This silence has consequences—both globally and at home, where speaking out for Palestine now comes at a steep price. Canadian Muslims face intimidation, censorship, job losses, and increased hate crimes simply for exercising their democratic right to speak.
Islamophobia is not abstract—it’s deadly. The National Council of Canadian Muslims recorded a staggering 1,300% increase in Islamophobic incidents since October 7, 2023. Canada, alone among G7 nations, has seen repeated fatal attacks targeting Muslims—from Quebec City to London, Ontario. Meanwhile, Muslim charities are unfairly targeted by the Canada Revenue Agency, activists face heightened surveillance, and peaceful pro-Palestine demonstrators are treated like threats to national security.
Security agencies have engaged in discriminatory practices, subjecting Muslim Canadians to heightened surveillance, racial profiling, arbitrary delays in security screenings, and unjustified no-fly list designations. These systemic policies reinforce Islamophobia at the various levels of government, creating an environment where Muslim Canadians are treated as security threats rather than equal citizens.
These issues aren’t matters of slow policy deliberation—they’re decisions Prime Minister Carney can make immediately. The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) has clearly outlined the Canadian Muslim community’s demands in an open letter to Prime Minister Carney.
The letter demands that Canada must immediately end its complicity in the genocide unfolding in Gaza by enforcing a two-way arms embargo on Israel, imposing sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for war crimes, formally recognizing Palestinian statehood, and demanding an end to the blockade and occupation of Gaza. The Canadian government must unequivocally condemn the weaponization of starvation, urgently advocate for unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza, and expand critical support for UNRWA.
At home, protecting civil liberties—particularly freedom of expression related to Palestine—is essential; suppression of peaceful advocacy must end. Immediate reform of the Gaza Reunification Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) program is required, removing discriminatory barriers and bureaucratic delays to enable Palestinian families to safely reunite in Canada. Finally, systemic Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism deeply entrenched within Canadian institutions demand action.
Concrete measures, including a robust national action plan backed by enforceable federal policies, must be implemented to combat racism, protect targeted communities from hate crimes, and ensure accountability for systemic bias across all levels of government.
Prime Minister Carney should not take these demands as abstract requests; they are immediate political decisions entirely within his power after assuming leadership of this country. His leadership, from day one, will be measured by action, not rhetoric. Failure to act decisively will have serious consequences, both for Canada’s moral standing and for the Muslim community’s vote in the upcoming federal election.
The Muslim community—and all Canadians committed to justice—are watching closely.
Watching how he responds to Israel shattering the ceasefire and killing hundreds in less than 24 hours, to how he chooses to protect civil liberties at home.
Inaction particularly concerning issues of human rights, justice, and civil liberties will have direct consequences at the ballot box. We can no longer afford to remain neutral in the face of injustice, whether it be in Palestine or here at home. The Canadian Muslim community needs to be respected, and our vote cannot and should not be taken for granted.
