Muslims and/in the Media: Reshaping the Narratives

The events of September 11, 2001 are often referred to as a moment that changed the world. In Canada, there have been repeated instances of overt Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, from the Quebec mosque shooting, to reports of Muslim women wearing hijab experiencing violence, to the killing of a Muslim family in London, Ontario. These extreme events, coupled with anti-Muslim microaggressions, are situated within a landscape of ongoing and systemic racism, enabled by societal and state actions of exclusion.

For many of us, the news is our main source of information on racism including extreme events of Islamophobia. For instance, the trial of the man accused of killing a Muslim family in London, Ontario is currently underway, with new details emerging daily. In consuming these stories, we should consider: Whose voices are being centered? Who is creating the narrative? What biases could be at play? How might these narratives affect society’s perceptions of Islam and Muslims? How have key global events of the past 25 years shaped these media narratives? And, in turn, how have these narratives impacted upon Muslims’ understandings of themselves and their communities?

Join us to hear a journalist’s perspective on how narratives about Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism are developed and perpetuated in Canadian mainstream media. Naheed Mustafa, an award-winning journalist, will share anecdotes from her own experience and work, as well as delve deeper into how Muslims understand and speak about themselves. We will then invite the group to engage in an open discussion about their experiences, how they can be allies to Muslims and other marginalized groups, and the role we all can play in reshaping common narratives of Islamophobia and Muslims.

Naheed Mustafa is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and producer with a background in print, radio, television, and film. Naheed’s work has appeared in a variety of media in Canada and internationally including CBC Radio, Radio Netherlands, The Walrus, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and Toronto Life. From 2008 to 2013, Naheed covered the war in Afghanistan as both a writer and audio documentary maker. Since 2016 she has been a producer at CBC Radio’s Ideas working on both documentary and feature interview programs. Join us for an engaging and dynamic conversation about Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism.

Dr. Shelina Kassam has a doctorate in Social Justice Education from OISE, University of Toronto. She is a critical race scholar and sociologist whose research concentrates on how race impacts on individual and societal identities, and on how Muslims negotiate citizenship and belonging. Since 2007, she has taught at the University of Toronto Mississauga in the Division of Women and Gender Studies and at McMaster University’s Gender Studies and Feminist Research program. Shelina has had senior leadership experience in the social justice, global development and educational sectors, both in Canada and internationally. She is a consultant on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to support organizations to incorporate equity within their practices. Over several decades, she has worked with municipal and provincial government bodies, corporations, educational organizations and not-for-profit agencies.

Shazya Ladak is a passionate and creative marketer who brings an equitable and inclusive lens to her work. Shazya is the Director of Marketing Strategy at Accelera Marketing, a boutique marketing firm that she helped build from the ground up in 2015. Shazya’s most recent community work includes holding the inaugural position of National Convener for Diversity & Inclusion on the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board Canada. She works to address the needs of Ismaili youth across the country with a focus on social justice and equity issues. Shazya also works as a consultant on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University and an MBA from the University of Toronto.

This is a Pillar 2 event in the Junior Fellows Professional Program: Junior Fellows Professional Program – Massey College