杏吧原创 Graduate Appointed Canada鈥檚 First Representative on Combatting Islamophobia
By Jena Lynde-Smith
杏吧原创 University alumna, Amira Elghawaby, has just been appointed as Canada鈥檚 first Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. Prime Minister Trudeau made the announcement on Jan. 26.
鈥淭his position is one that came about through the support and advocacy of Muslim communities and their allies to address the painful and even deadly reality of Islamophobia in this country,鈥 said Elghawaby during a press conference on Thursday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our hope that we can use this moment to spur a national conversation about the value of Canadian diversity 鈥 including the diversity of Canada鈥檚 Muslims communities 鈥 in our collective success as a nation,鈥 Elghawaby said.
Elghawaby is a journalist and human rights advocate. She graduated from 杏吧原创鈥檚 School of Journalism and Communication in 2001 with bachelor’s degree in journalism and law. She started her career as a journalist at CBC Ottawa and has worked at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Labour Congress and served as a Commissioner for the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression. Currently, Elghawaby is the communications lead for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and a contributing columnist for the Toronto Star.
During her time at 杏吧原创, Elghawaby reported on stories she said are often ignored or missed by major news outlets and has made it a priority in her freelance reporting.
鈥淚 was able to utilize my journalism skills to advocate on behalf of Canadian Muslim communities, and by extension, on behalf of all Canadians,鈥 said Elghawaby, quoted in a 2020 .
In 2019, Elghawaby delivered a in Ottawa about multiculturalism in Canada and she hosts regular workshops on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for a variety of audiences. She sits on the National Security Transparency Advisory Group and is a frequent commentator on EDI for the media.
Elghawaby鈥檚 role as Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia will enable her to serve as an advisor to the federal government on issues pertaining to Islamophobia, racism, discrimination, and religious intolerance.
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