Hon. Robert Black: My question is for the Chair of the Senate Human Rights Committee.

The committee has been undertaking an extensive study of Islamophobia in Canada. It is a really timely study. Research from Statistics Canada released in August of this year indicates that police-reported hate crimes targeting the Muslim community increased by 71% between 2020 and 2021. This figure reflects the troubling trend we’ve witnessed of hate-motivated attacks on Muslims in Canada, notably the heinous shooting at a Quebec City mosque in 2017 and the brutal attack last year on a Muslim family in London, Ontario.

We all agree that Islamophobia is a pressing issue in Canada, and we are all eager to learn from your committee’s study. Can you please update this chamber on the progress of your study and when you are aiming to report back to the chamber?