DESI FORUM
TDSB TO DEVELOP AN ANTI-ISLAMOPHOBIA STRATEGY
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) staff are working to develop a board-wide Anti-Islamophobia strategy. Image credit: RACHID OUCHARIA on Unsplash.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) unanimously passed a crucial motion directing TDSB staff to develop a board-wide Anti-Islamophobia strategy.
Through the advocacy of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), TDSB Vice Chair Neethan Shan and Trustee Liban Hassan introduced the motion, which called for the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan to address Islamophobia within TDSB.
Passing this motion was deemed necessary and vital, as several students, parents and educators testified at the TDSB Planning and Priorities Committee that they do not feel safe in schools.
“Every day, I hear Muslims being attacked and bullied in my school halls simply for believing in their faith,” said one of the students. “As a student who has been told many terrorist jokes directly to my face, in front of teachers and staff, I have never felt protected by my school.”
TDSB is now the second school board in Canada after Peel District School Board (PDSB) to work on a board-wide strategy to systemically tackle Islamophobia. PDSB released its Affirming Muslim Identities and Dismantling Islamophobia Strategy earlier this year.
“While we are proud of the work TDSB has done already in addressing Islamophobia, it is critical that our board has a scaled up, well-resourced, intentional, systemwide strategy to address Islamophobia with timelines and benchmarks attached,” said Shan. “I am proud that we received unanimous support from the trustees for this motion.”
“We hope that we can address Islamophobia by allowing it to have its own space as a separate strategy, which is distinct from the TDSB’s more broad anti-hate policy,” said Liban Hassan. “This will create a specific plan, heighten accountability, and increase measures of commitment in tackling Islamophobia.”
“A dedicated strategy signals to Muslim students and parents that they matter, the school board hears their concerns, and is invested in their wellbeing,” said Samya Hasan, executive director of CASSA. “We are asking for a strategy that not only includes training, but a review of hiring practices, a curriculum review, culturally responsive mental health support for Muslim students and educators, mechanisms to engage Muslim communities in the strategy development and implementation, and accountability measures including indicators of success. We want to congratulate the TDSB for this necessary step forward.”