Islamophobia in Canada: Four mindsets indicate negativity is nationwide, most intense in Quebec

A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds unfavourable views of Islam prevalent across the country at varying levels and highest in Quebec.

Indeed, two-in-five Canadians outside of Quebec (39%) hold an unfavourable view of Islam. In Quebec that number reaches half (52%). These views take more concrete forms, however, than just the overall sentiment that the religion receives. Its followers face the risk of being unwelcome in a number of areas of Canadian society.

To clarify the picture further, the Angus Reid Institute created the “Views of Islam Index”. Respondents were asked six questions about five religions – Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. The dimensions measured included:

• Feeling favourable or unfavourable about the religion;

• Support or opposition to people wearing distinctive religious symbols in public;

• Levels of comfort with working in the same space where colleagues wore these symbols;

• Support or opposition to the establishment of different places of worship in their neighbourhood;

• Acceptance of a child marrying a member of one of these religions.

For the purpose of this analysis and given the ongoing discussion about the level of Islamophobia in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, responses to this national survey were analyzed according to the level of positivity or negativity towards Muslims across all six question areas. Four groups were created, those with Very Positive, Positive, Negative, and Very Negative views of Islam.

A comparison of Quebec with the rest of Canada reveals stark differences. Outside of Quebec, Very Positive and universally accepting views of Muslims and their religious symbols are evident in 37 per cent of the population. A further one-quarter (27%) hold generally positive views but not in all circumstances assessed in the study. On the other end of the spectrum 16 per cent of Canadians outside Quebec hold Very Negative views on Islam and religious practices of this faith in nearly every circumstance assessed in the survey.

In Quebec, positive views are more muted but still represent almost half the attitudinal landscape with one-in-five (20%) displaying Very Positive views and a further one-quarter (25%) on the generally positive side of the index.

That said, the largest segment of the population in Quebec (30%) displays Very Negative views toward Islam. The level is about twice that observed in the rest of the country (16%). This “Very Negative” segment in Quebec is similar to the group of the same name in the rest of Canada with one important exception: among this group in Quebec there is a distinct level of negativity towards Judaism and Christianity that is less prevalent elsewhere in the country.

Amid this, Quebec’s Bill 21 continues to be supported by more than half in that province (57%). That law, which prohibits the wearing of religious symbols for individuals in certain public positions of authority while they are on the worksite, is unpopular in the rest of the country with one-in-four (25%) supporting the concept for their own province and two-thirds (65%) opposing it.

Islamophobia in Canada: Four mindsets indicate negativity is nationwide, most intense in Quebec

36% outside of QC have negative view of Islam, compared to 56% within la belle province

More Key Findings:

• Asked whether Canada has a problem with Islamophobia more broadly, Canadians are evenly divided, with 50 per cent saying it does and 50 per cent saying it does not. Those most likely to view Islam negatively, both in Quebec and in the rest of Canada alike, are also most likely to say there is no problem.

• There is some correlation between age and education when it comes to the Views of Islam Index. Older Canadians are more likely to be in the Very Negative group than younger ones while younger Canadians are more likely to be in the Very Positive group. As well, half of the Very Negative group has a high school diploma or less, while the Very Positive group is much more likely to have graduated from university than other segments.

• More than two-in-five (44%) Canadians believe it is unnecessary to have a special representative on combatting Islamophobia, a position recently appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This view is the overwhelming majority one (82%) of those who have Very Negative views of Islam.

• Seven-in-ten outside of Quebec (72%) support the wearing of the hijab in public spaces, while 28 per cent oppose it. In Quebec, slightly more than half (55%) are supportive, while 45 per cent voice opposition. In Greater Montreal support for the hijab rises to 63 per cent, while it drops to 46 per cent in the rest of Quebec. Part One: Canadians more negative toward Islam than other faiths

In late January, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of Canada’s first special representative on combatting Islamophobia. Journalist and human-rights activist Amira Elghawaby was chosen for the position to “support and enhance the federal government’s efforts in the fight against Islamophobia, systemic racism, racial discrimination, and religious intolerance.”

Activists and government officials have been concerned in recent years as attacks against Muslims in Canada have risen, including a

71 per cent increase from 2020 to 2021. This violence was most tragically evident in 2017 when six individuals were killed at a mosque in Quebec City.

While higher profile violent events gather headlines, many Canadians hold a more muted negative perspective towards Islam. Across the country Canadians are least likely to hold favourable views of Islam than five other major religions. In Quebec, one-quarter (25%) view the Muslim faith favourably, however, nowhere in the country does this number exceed 37 per cent:

Unfavourable views are also more common in Quebec for most faiths, but the rest of the country, too, is not immune from these perspectives, particularly when it comes to Islam:

Using a net favourability score, those who view each faith positively versus negatively, Canadians’ more unfavourable perspective of Islam than other religions is clearly delineated:

Religious symbols in public and at work

When it comes to religious symbols or clothing in public spaces, Canadians are generally permissive. A majority in all regions are supportive of the Star of David, kippa, nun’s habit, crucifix, turban, and hijab. That said, Quebec residents are least likely to support each, and slightly more than half (55%) say they support the wearing of the hijab in public. This has significant consequences for the hundreds of thousands of Muslim women living in Quebec and Canada alike:

Belief systems and marriage

One of the more pronounced areas of discomfort for Canadians is evident when considering marriage. Asked if it would be acceptable for their child to marry a follower of each faith, responses vary considerably. Canadians are least likely to say they would accept their child marrying a Muslim: