MSA stands up to Islamophobia during Muslim Advocacy Week
Nearly a decade after the Quebec City mosque attack, UTM students reflect on the importance of remembrance and action against Islamophobia.
On January 29, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Muslim Student Association (MSA) joined the Green Square Campaign to honour the victims of the 2017 Quebec City mosque attack. During the National Council of Canadian Muslims Advocacy (NCCM) Week, which coincided with the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia, students campaigned by wearing green felt squares as a sign of solidarity and remembrance.
On January 29, 2017, a gunman opened fire in a mosque in Quebec City, killing six worshippers and wounding 19 others. Nearly a decade later, the Muslim community in Canada continues to remember the victims, Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, and Aboubaker Thabti—renewing calls for remembrance, action and awareness against Islamophobia.
The MSA highlighted the need for remembrance with the green felt squares pinned to students’ and faculty’s clothing as a symbolic tribute to the victims of the attack. The Green Square Campaign was launched in 2020 by the NCCM.
The two-by-two green felt square is provided by NCCM, representing the green carpet inside the Quebec City mosque. Unfortunately, due to the January 26 snowstorm, delivery of the squares was delayed. The MSA worked around this issue by creating its own green felt squares.
From January 27 to 30, the MSA tabled on campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to encourage students to participate in discussions about Islamophobia, common misconceptions, and how it feels to be Muslim in Canada and on campus.
The tabling included activities inviting students to answer on sticky notes, “What Does Islamophobia Mean to You?” Also on the table was an Islamic trivia game, free English-translated Qurans, and pamphlets highlighting common misconceptions about Islam.
Some of the students’ sticky notes read “ignorance towards the teachings of Islam,” “injustice and discrimination,” and “lack of understanding of others.” Pamphlets addressed basic questions about Islam, such as “Women’s rights in Islam,” “What does Islam say about terrorism,” and “Human rights in Islam.”
Islamophobia is not a new issue on the UTM campus. Last October, following a student commemoration for the victims of the genocide in Gaza, Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce publicly condemned the MSA, the UTM Students’ Union (UTMSU), and the Association of Palestinian Students.
In October 2025, Lecce called the groups a “hateful, antisemitic, and anti-democratic mob” that should be “condemned and banned from any campus,” on a post on X. The same month, MSA responded to the claims with an Instagram post stating that they had sent a legal letter to Lecce regarding his “defamatory and completely false” remarks. The MSA statement asserted, “To label an event rooted in remembrance and solidarity as violent rhetoric is to incite further hostility and Islamophobia.”
Open discussions among students on campus are important. Yusef Sehrai, a Da’wah Associate at the MSA, said in an interview with The Medium, “The role of the Da’wah team is to just spread awareness about Islam.” Students on campus can meet with Da’wah members to not only discuss questions about Islam but also to report instances of Islamophobia.
The MSA team invites students to ask more questions than just about religion. Sehrai said, “People share their experiences with Islamophobia; you don’t have to be a Muslim to experience it, you can see other people experiencing it.”
Salaar Khan, a first-year Advocacy Associate member of MSA, told The Medium about the importance of Islamophobia advocacy week, even when some students are in support of Islamophobia.
Khan shared his experience with students scared to share their opinions or questions, concerned they would come off as Islamophobic. He emphasized the importance of open-mindedness during discussions, “If you do want to come and debate, you are more than welcome. If you want to have a respectful debate, then we’re here.”
The team reported receiving positive feedback from both students and staff. Mohammad Mahi, the Advocacy Associate for MSA, stated, “The campus security [was] on board; they told us to drop by and give them the green felt square, [and] they would proudly wear them on Thursday.”
Mahi explained that the cause goes beyond student campaigning. “It’s not just one isolated effort, it’s a broad across Canada thing that we’re happy to help out a little bit.”
The MSA will be tabling from February 2 to 6 for Islam Awareness Week (IAW). Students are invited to come and discuss Islam or Islamophobia. Following the end of the week, the MSA will be hosting an IAW dinner for all students. More information on IAW will be posted on their Instagram @UTMMSA.
