A voice for representation and accountability.
Amira Elghawaby, journalist and human rights advocate, served as Canada’s first ever Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia between 2023 to 2026.
During her historic tenure, Ms. Elghawaby provided strategic advice to the Government of Canada on legislation, policies, and programs impacting Canadian Muslim communities. She also worked closely with federal departments to address issues related to online hate, anti-racism, discrimination and community safety.
Additionally, Ms. Elghawaby worked to raise public awareness on the challenges Islamophobia poses to Canada’s shared values, championing human rights, freedom of religion and inclusion on national and global platforms, including at the United Nations.
In spring 2025, her Office published The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia, the first of its kind to be launched by a national government.
Prior to Ms. Elghawaby’s role, she was a contributing columnist at the Toronto Star and held roles in strategic communications and human rights at various national organizations, including at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and in Canada’s labour movement.
Ms. Elghawaby is a founding board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and has served two terms as a Commissioner on the Public Policy Forum’s Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression. She currently sits on the National Security Transparency Advisory Group.
In 2025, Ms. Elghawaby was awarded the King Charles Coronation Medal for her leadership.
QUOTABLES
Human rights
“When it comes to disseminating good ideas, Canada could and should be more vocal, especially with regards to the protection and promotion of minority rights.” - Toronto Star
public safety and inclusion
“We hit a climax point where I think fellow Canadians have finally understood. [Islamophobia has] been affecting Muslims for years, No one expected it to get to this point with the tragic killing, and hopefully it'll never happen again, but now it’s very much on people’s radar that this is an issue.” - CBC In-depth
media
“As Canadians confront painful truths about this country—its treatment of First Nations, ongoing racial profiling, sexism in our institutions, and countless other social justice travesties—we turn to the media to understand the various sides of an issue and to find solutions to our myriad social inequities and challenges.” - THIS Magazine
online hate
“. . . while the Heritage committee heard from a range of experts lamenting the dismal policing of online hate in Canada, it failed to offer any meaningful solutions. That’s problematic considering the clear connection between those who commit violence against minority communities and their consumption of far-right, anti-immigrant, and violent extremist content online.” - The Ottawa Citizen
community
“A recent academic study titled Belonging: Feelings Of Attachment And Acceptance Among Immigrants In Canada demonstrates that when first and second generation immigrants feel accepted by society, they are that much more likely to become civically engaged. Instead of encouraging that, why give more weight to closed-minded people who seem to want to bully others into invisibility?” - The Globe and Mail
Education & outreach
The media workshops are to "identify when we are being sold a particular narrative about any community at all that may not truly reflect the diversity of that community and all that it is doing in our society." - CBC News
“We all have a responsibility to imagine the pain and suffering of others. A more empathic and engaged society depends on it.”