Anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise in Canada, and certain Canadian laws are actually making it worse. Professor Natasha Bakht was a guest on an episode of Don’t Call Me Resilient, a podcast from The Conversation where she talked about her research into anti-Muslim attitudes in North America.
In 2020, Professor Bakht published In Your Face: Law, Justice, and Niqab Wearing Women in Canada (Irwin Law), which explores the stories of niqab-wearing women who have faced discriminatory laws. In this podcast, she addresses how niqab bans can actually boost hate crimes against Muslims and essentially legalize Islamophobia. “As soon as you have laws that promote exclusionary politics – so laws that say ‘you don’t belong in our community’ […] – I think those exclusionary ideas really seep into mainstream consciousness,” says Professor Bakht.
The full episode can be heard on the Don’t Call Me Resilient website.
