MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS EDMONTON, Thursday, September 8, 2022 (16) [English] The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day at 9:10 a.m. MT, in the Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Sandman Signature Downtown Edmonton, the chair, the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, presiding. Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Arnot, Ataullahjan, Jaffer, Martin and Simons (5).

Participating in the meeting : Mireille Aubé , P rocedural Clerk, and Lyne Héroux, Logistics Officer, Committees Directorate; Robert Mason and Brendan Naef, analysts, Library of Parliament; Amely Coulombe, Senate Events Coordinator, Communications Directorate. Pursuant to the order of reference adopted b y the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, the committee continued its study of such issues as may arise from time to time relating to human rights generally. (Topic: Islamophobia in Canada) WITNESSES: The National Council of Canadian Muslims: Said Omar, Alberta Advocacy Officer.

African Canadian Civic Engagement Council: Dunia Nur, President and Chief Executive Officer. Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton: Jibril Ibrahim, Chairperson.

As individuals: Rod Loyola, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Ellerslie, Poet, and Spoken Word Artist; Yasmeen Abu-Laban, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights and Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, University of Alberta; Farha Shariff, Senior Advisor for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization, on behalf of the Dean's office, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta; Houssem Ben Lazreg, Professor of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, University of Alberta; Bashir Ahmed Mohamed.

At 9:13 a.m., pursuant to the declaration of June 13, 2022, and to subsection 13(2) of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators , the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan withdrew from the committee meeting for the duration of the proceedings with the National Council of Canadian Muslims. At 9:14 a.m., the Honourable Senator Jaffer took the chair. Rod Loyola, Said Omar, Dunia Nur and Yasmeen Abu -Laban each made a statement and answered questions. At 10:07 a.m., the committee suspended. At 10:19 a.m., the committee resumed. At 10:19 a.m., the Honourable Senator Ataullahjan resumed the chair.

Jibril Ibrahim, Farha Shariff, Houssem Ben Lazreg and Bashir Ahmed Mohamed each made a statement and answered questions. At 11:32 a.m., the chair informed the committee of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was agreed that the committee suspend its proceedings. At 11:33 a.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair. ATTEST: Sébastien Payet Clerk of the Committee