Peel school board approval of anti-Islamophobia strategy draws support from community groups
CBC
Community groups are welcoming a Peel District School Board decision to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy because they say the plan will help make schools safer for Muslim staff and students.
At its Sept. 30 meeting, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) passed a motion by trustee Nokha Dakroub that called for the adoption of the strategy. The plan includes mandatory anti-Islamophobia training for all board staff members.
The board is the first in the Greater Toronto Area to commit to creating such a strategy, and Dakroub is scheduled to announce it at PDSB headquarters on Thursday.
Aasiyah Khan, manager of education programs at the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), said the strategy is a step in the right direction, but if the plan is to be robust, it will require involvement from community members and the board to take specific actions.
"We're hoping that this strategy is a first step in ongoing work that is necessary to ensure that all students feel included," Khan said on Wednesday.
"We recognize that this is a systemic issue," she added.
"And so, it would require a systemic commitment and response that does include centring student voice, reviewing curricular content that is problematic, affirming student identities, staff identities, creating spaces where, if folks are experiencing Islamophobia or any form of hate, they feel comfortable enough to report it.
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WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.