The rise of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism is playing out in Ontario schools, widely influenced by broader geopolitical and social issues.
Although Muslims are the fastest growing religious minority in Canada, schools are often sites of both forms of racism.
While we acknowledge that Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism are two distinct forms of oppression, they often overlap and intersect to produce racial discrimination and violence, such as surveillance and censorship.
We recently engaged in a study with people who are studying and practising to become teachers (pre-service teachers). We were interested in how prepared they are to challenge anti-Muslim bias and anti-Palestinian racism in Ontario schools.
We did this through interviews with 32 teacher candidates across Ontario. We focused on pre-service teacher perspectives so we could gauge current issues and gaps in teacher education programs.
The findings of our study, which documented gendered Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in Ontario schools, points to the need for systemic changes in the province’s schools to better reflect the cultural and religious diversity in these spaces.
Read the full story in The Conversation Canada website.
Article co-authored by Faculty of Education Assistant Professor Zuhra Abawi