Maritime Faith Leaders Sound Alarm Over Rising Religious Intolerance

Religious leaders in Atlantic Canada are voicing growing concern about a rise in intolerance, warning that social cohesion and community safety are being tested as hate moves from online spaces into everyday life.

In a recent report by CTV News Atlantic (Hafsa Arif, Sept. 17, 2025), Muslim, Christian, and Jewish leaders in Halifax described escalating incidents targeting their communities — from harassment of Muslim women wearing hijabs, to increased antisemitic threats, to broader suspicion of faith in secular spaces.

Imam Abdallah Yousri of Ummah Masjid in Halifax said reports of Islamophobia have risen sharply.

“Whether online, through social media, emails, or even physical letters, people are coming forward to share their experiences. It’s surprising to see this in Halifax and across the Maritimes, but it mirrors trends we see nationally and globally,” he told CTV.

He described disturbing incidents: Muslim women having their hijabs pulled off, being spat on, mocked in public, or targeted with hate-filled mail. Such acts, he stressed, threaten the safety and dignity of worshippers.

National data supports his concerns. Statistics Canada reported that police-reported hate crimes targeting religion rose by 67% in 2021, with Muslims and Jews the most frequently targeted groups (Statistics Canada, 2022).

Reverend Susan Chisolm, a Christian minister in Halifax, noted that while many communities in the Maritimes have embraced diversity — sponsoring refugees and welcoming newcomers — political rhetoric has increasingly weaponized religion, sowing fear and division.

“The rise of religion being used in political spheres, often negatively, fuels these divisions,” she said. “We need to remember that the principles of peace, shared across faiths, remain far more powerful than what divides us.”

Her comments echo broader research that links political polarization with rising intolerance toward minority groups in Canada (Environics Institute, 2023).

For Halifax’s Jewish community, the rise in antisemitism has been particularly troubling. Mark David, past president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, said attacks and threats are now far more pronounced than in previous decades.

“Anti-Semitism is now far more pronounced than I’ve ever seen in Halifax,” he told CTV. “Incidents that start online can easily spill into society, threatening the fabric of Canadian life.”

Theologian David Deane pointed out that suspicion of religion in the modern West is not new. He traced it back to Enlightenment-era narratives that cast religion as irrational or regressive.

“People assume religious believers are less rational or more prone to danger, assumptions that are simply false,” he explained. He noted that both Christian and Muslim students often feel pressured to suppress expressions of faith in academic settings.

Deane argued that schools and universities, despite claiming neutrality, often privilege secular perspectives. “The antidote is knowledge: seek out experts, read coherent contemporary historians, and second-guess assumptions. Most of what we think we know about religion is often false,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Maritime faith leaders are responding with initiatives to promote understanding.

• Imam Yousri announced public mosque tours during Islamic Heritage Month to build awareness and relationships.
• Reverend Chisolm emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue.
• Deane encouraged education rooted in historical accuracy and critical thinking.

“The hope is a future of engagement, dialogue, and tolerance,” Yousri said. “A Halifax and Maritimes where communities can live together peacefully, proudly, and respectfully.”

Sources:

• Hafsa Arif, “Maritime faith leaders seeing rise in religious intolerance,” CTV News Atlantic, Sept. 17, 2025.
• Statistics Canada, “Police-reported crime in Canada, 2021,” Aug. 2, 2022.
• Environics Institute, Canadian Social Values Survey 2023.