OTTAWA – The House of Commons has passed a Liberal backbencher’s motion calling on federal politicians to condemn Islamophobia.
The motion, known as M-103, became a matter of acrimonious debate, with opponents painting it as a slippery slope towards limiting freedom of speech and even bringing in Sharia law.
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Liberals and Conservatives accused one another of playing politics with the rising tide of prejudice and hate crimes facing Canadian Muslims.
MPs adopted the motion by a margin of 201-91.
READ MORE: Anti-Islamophobia motion provokes protests, counter-protests across Canada
Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, who sponsored the motion, was applauded loudly by her Liberal fellows as she stood to vote.
The issue even became a bone of contention among Conservative leadership hopefuls.
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Canada’s parliament has approved M-103, a non-biding motion that calls on the government to “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination,” by a margin of 201-91.
The contentious motion, which sparked nationwide demonstrations and protests by both supporters and opponents in early March, also calls on the government to take steps to “quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear.”