International Day to Combat Islamophobia

International Day to Combat Islamophobia on March 15 was designated as an international observance by the United Nations in 2022. The March 15 date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings, in which 51 people were killed.

The UN defines Islamophobia as “a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world. Motivated by institutional, ideological, political and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.”

Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with more than 2 billion followers representing 24.9% of the world population.

UVic strives to make campus a safe and inclusive space for all. Stand with us against fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims, and all forms of racism, religious discrimination and harassment.

Learn more by checking out our resources.

Resources

UVic Libraries research guide

UVic librarians offer a curated list of resources on anti-Islamophobia.

Interfaith Dialogue Guide

Multifaith Services offers a guide on how to have interfaith dialogue.

Religious observances

Equity and Human Rights provides a list of religious observances and encourages you to mark them on your calendar and to be considerate of Muslim prayer times especially on Fridays (12:30 to 1:30 p.m. PST; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Daylight Savings Time).