However, seven-in-ten Jews and half of Muslims say prejudice against them ‘requires serious attention’
June 18, 2024 – A shooting at Bais Chaya Mushka school, a Jewish school in Ontario, and arson targeting the home of a Muslim family in London again shone a disturbing light on a trend of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts in Canada. This, as more than half of hate crimes in the nation’s largest city, Toronto, have reportedly targeted Jewish Canadians.
The latest data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds a discord between Jewish residents and much of the country. Asked if there is a problem with anti-Semitism in Canada, seven-in-10 Jews say it’s a major problem, more than three-times the number offered by the remainder of respondents (22%). Self-identified Muslims are even less likely to feel this is a serious issue, just eight per cent say so.
Asked about anti-Muslim discrimination, half of Muslims (54%) say this is a major problem, while 27 per cent of Jews agree. Overall, 15 per cent of Canadians say it’s a major problem requiring serious attention.
Click below to see Key Takeaways from the data.
As reports of a dramatic increase of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, Canadians have reduced their level of concern about each. While majorities still feel that both trends are concerning, the proportion holding this view has dropped nine points in each case since December of last year.
In the prairies, the perception that anti-Semitism is a problem is more widespread than the same view that anti-Muslim hate. In Quebec, the latter is more common than the former:
While concern about both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate have dropped overall, this is not the case among Jews and Muslims. Each group is near-unanimous in saying that abuse against people of their faith is a problem:
The Full Story
INDEX
Canadians concern over anti-Semitism, Islamophobia decreases
Seven-in-ten Jews say anti-Semitism ‘requires serious attention’
More than half of Muslims believe prejudice against them is a ‘major problem’
Women more likely to see both as issues; men least concerned with anti-Muslim attitudes
Canadians concern over anti-Semitism, Islamophobia decreases
The war between Israel and Hamas has increased tensions in Canadian communities. Since October, hate-related incidents directed at both Canadian Jews and Muslims have increased across the country.
The incidents include an increase in violence directed at Jews and Jewish businesses and places of worship. Synagogues in Canada have been targeted with firebombs, and stores owned by Jews have been vandalized across the country.
Recently, a report in the New York Times and Israeli newspaper Haaretz accused the Israeli government of an Islamophobic social media campaign designed at reducing support for Palestinians in Canada. The Israeli government denies connection to the campaign. A House of Commons committee was told recently that Canada is the worst country in the G7 when it comes to targeted killings of Muslims.
Despite Muslims and Jews in this country raising the alarm over incidents of prejudice – or worse – against their respective faith groups, Canadians overall are less likely to report concern with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia than they were in December. Two-thirds (66%) say anti-Muslim hatred is either a major (15%) or a problem among others the country is facing (51%), down from the three-quarters (75%) who said so five months ago. Seven-in-ten (69%) describe anti-Semitism as a significant problem the country faces, down from the 78 per cent who described it as such in December. In both cases, there has been a corresponding growth in the proportion of Canadians who describe either as a minor problem or not really a problem at all:
The opinion that anti-Semitism is a problem is more pervasive across the country, but particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as compared to anti-Muslim hate. The latter is viewed as problem by slightly more in Quebec than the former:
Seven-in-ten Jews say anti-Semitism ‘requires serious attention’
The Angus Reid Institute included an additional sample of Canadian Jews and Canadian Muslims in this survey to ensure their perspectives on this important issue could be analyzed.
Seven-in-ten (69%) Canadian Jews say anti-Semitism is a major problem in the country, with another one-quarter (26%) saying it is a problem among other important issues. Few Jews believe anti-Semitism is a minor problem (3%) or not really one at all (2%). Canadian Muslims lean towards believing anti-Semitism is a minor problem, or not one at all (55%), while more than two-in-five (45%) say it is more concerning than that:
More than half of Muslims believe prejudice against them is a ‘major problem’
Most Muslims (54%) believe Islamophobia is a problem requiring serious attention in Canada, while another third (34%) say it is one of many important problems the country is facing. One-in-eight (12%) Muslims say either Islamophobia is a minor, or not really a problem:
There has been no statistically significant shift in Canadian Jews and Muslims who describe anti-Semitism and Islamophobia as serious problems since December. Though in absolute terms, concern has declined among Canadian Jews on the issue of anti-Semitism, given the sample sizes in the reports, this decline is within the margin of error. Similarly, while the proportion of Muslims concerned with anti-Muslim prejudice has increased, it is considered statistically the same to figures seen in December:
Women more likely to see both as issues; men least concerned with anti-Muslim attitudes
Women express more concern for both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia than men, but the divide is much wider when it comes to belief as to whether or not anti-Muslim attitudes are a significant issue in Canada. Half (50%) of men aged 35- to 54-years-old believe Islamophobia is either a minor problem or not one at all:
A majority of all likely voters for the four major political parties in Canada believe anti-Semitism is a significant concern in the country. That is not the case for Islamophobia; a majority of likely CPC voters believe instead anti-Muslim prejudice is a minor problem or not one at all:
METHODOLOGY
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 24-28, 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,603 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI. Detailed tables are found at the end of this release.
For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.
For full release including methodology, click here.
For questionnaire, click here.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Shachi Kurl, President: 604.908.1693 shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl
Dave Korzinski, Research Director: 250.899.0821 dave.korzinski@angusreid.org