The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) and the Association of Canadian Studies (ACS) have over the years sponsored a number of surveys to keep abreast of Canadian attitudes on these issues. The question of religion in the public sphere and interfaith relations has been the focus of the Interfaith and Belonging Project carried out by CRRF and funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. During this time the question of intergroup relations and and Integration have also been studied and in particular attitudes to Aboriginal peoples in Canada have been researched and first steps in looking at what needs to be done have been undertaken.
Below, results are provided from a national survey, dealing with issues of Intergroup relations, concerns over racism and religious freedoms. The national survey was conducted via web panel in the last week of January 2014 with 2063 Canadians and a margin of error of 2.5% 19 times out of 20 for an equivalent survey conducted by telephone. Oversamples of Muslims, Jews and Aboriginal peoples were included in the survey to provide insight into how these group’s views on the issues compare with those of other Canadians and particularly Canada’s francophone population (overwhelmingly concentrated in Quebec), the English Canadian population and persons whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.
The Quebec elections of April 7th, 2014 seemingly put a stop to the adoption of a Charter of Values and Secularism that would amongst other things have placed a ban on the wearing of visible religious symbols by public sector employees. Many found the debate over religious diversity, values and identity to be divisive. The proposed introduction of the Values Charter coming out of that debate was being followed closely outside the province of Quebec.
Undoubtedly the idea of some Values Charter resonated with a minority of Canadians outside Quebec. Yet few surveys examined the attitudes around some of underlying issues in the rest of Canada. Questions relating to these issues were asked in the survey and the results are given below.
In Table 1, we first looked at the extent to which religion is regarded as a source of division and ask Canadians to assess their knowledge and interest in learning more about religion. Nearly 40% of Canadians agree that having many religious groups is more of a liability than an asset. A majority of francophone Canadians (54%) hold that view and of the groups surveyed here Canadians Jews (23%) and Muslims (30%) are least likely to agree.
|
Total Agree |
Total |
French |
English |
Other Language |
Muslim |
Jewish |
|
Having many religious groups is more of a liability than an asset. |
39% |
54% |
34% |
35% |
30% |
23% |
|
I have good knowledge of religions other than my own |
55% |
45% |
56% |
66% |
79% |
78% |
|
I want to learn more about religions other than my own. |
56% |
52% |
56% |
64% |
72% |
72% |
There has been much debate recently in the province of Quebec about the relationship between the presence of visible religious symbols in public institutions and their possible impact on intergroup tension. Indeed some observers in Quebec contend that banning such symbols in public institutions might help reduce religious fundamentalism. We put a question in this wave of the survey to determine the degree to which Canadians feel that such a measure is believed to have such an impact. In fact nearly half of the francophone Canadians surveyed do believe that religious fundamentalism might be reduced if visible religious symbols were banned in public institutions. That view is also held by over one in four non-francophone Canadians. As observed below, relatively few Canadian Muslims and Jews believe that banning such symbols will help reduce religious fundamentalism.
for Language Groups, Muslim and Jewish Canadians
|
Banning the wearing of visible religious symbols in public institutions will help reduce religious fundamentalism. |
||||||
|
Total |
French |
English |
Other Languages |
Muslim |
Jewish |
|
|
TOTAL AGREE |
32% |
48% |
27% |
32% |
17% |
14% |
|
Strongly agree |
12% |
21% |
9% |
9% |
6% |
4% |
|
Somewhat agree |
21% |
27% |
18% |
23% |
11% |
10% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
55% |
41% |
60% |
55% |
73% |
80% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
24% |
23% |
24% |
26% |
18% |
23% |
|
Strongly disagree |
31% |
18% |
36% |
29% |
55% |
57% |
|
I don't know |
12% |
10% |
12% |
12% |
6% |
5% |
|
I prefer not to answer |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
4% |
1% |
A majority of Canadians agree that freedom of religion should include the wearing of religious symbols in public institutions. However, francophone Canadians (34%) are least likely to agree that wearing such symbols in public institutions is an expression of freedom of religion.
|
Freedom of religion should include the wearing of visible religious symbols in public institutions |
|||||||
|
Total |
French |
English |
Other |
Aboriginals |
Muslims |
Jews |
|
|
TOTAL AGREE |
55% |
34% |
62% |
60% |
57% |
82% |
81% |
|
Strongly agree |
25% |
14% |
28% |
30% |
26% |
54% |
54% |
|
Somewhat agree |
30% |
20% |
33% |
30% |
31% |
27% |
27% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
36% |
61% |
29% |
30% |
28% |
12% |
15% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
19% |
25% |
17% |
20% |
17% |
9% |
11% |
|
Strongly disagree |
17% |
36% |
11% |
10% |
11% |
3% |
5% |
|
I don't know |
7% |
4% |
9% |
9% |
12% |
3% |
2% |
|
I prefer not to answer |
1% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
4% |
1% |
A majority of Canadians report that most of their friends share the same ethnic background. This is particularly the case for francophone respondents with 76% reporting that most of their friends share the same ethnic background. Contrary to what might be assumed, persons whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, Aboriginals Canadians, Muslim and Jewish Canadians are least likely to report that most friends share the same background.
|
Most of my friends share the same ethnic background as me. |
|||||||
|
Total |
French |
English |
Other Languages |
Aboriginal |
Muslim |
Jewish |
|
|
TOTAL AGREE |
60% |
76% |
57% |
42% |
30% |
36% |
41% |
|
Strongly agree |
23% |
39% |
20% |
11% |
10% |
13% |
12% |
|
Somewhat agree |
36% |
37% |
37% |
31% |
20% |
23% |
29% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
35% |
21% |
37% |
53% |
64% |
56% |
57% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
23% |
14% |
25% |
31% |
34% |
27% |
30% |
|
Strongly disagree |
12% |
7% |
13% |
22% |
31% |
29% |
28% |
|
I don't know |
4% |
2% |
4% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
0% |
|
I prefer not to answer |
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
1% |
A majority of Canadians report either often or occasional contact with English Canadians, French Quebecers and Immigrants with the exception of those whose main is neither English nor French where some 43% report such levels of contact with French Quebecers. Of the groups examined here, French Quebecers are least likely to report either often or occasional contact with Jews (26%) and Muslims (31%).
|
Often and Occasionally Have contact with |
Total |
French |
English |
Other Languages |
Aboriginal |
Muslim |
Jews |
|
French Quebecers |
60% |
95% |
51% |
43% |
51% |
62% |
65% |
|
English Canadians |
89% |
71% |
95% |
92% |
95% |
79% |
96% |
|
Immigrants |
80% |
66% |
83% |
92% |
79% |
88% |
88% |
|
Jews |
49% |
26% |
57% |
50% |
39% |
47% |
98% |
|
Muslims |
48% |
31% |
51% |
58% |
42% |
90% |
69% |
|
Aboriginals |
53% |
38% |
62% |
35% |
93% |
30% |
35% |
As regards intergroup relations, as observed below the relationship that concerns Canadians most is between Muslims and non-Muslims. Canadian Jews express a relatively high level of concern about all the relationships listed. Aboriginal Canadians are most concerned over relations between aboriginals and non-aboriginals. There is also much concern expressed by Canadians over the relationship between Immigrants and non-immigrants.
|
TOTAL Concerned Relations Between… |
Muslims and Non-Muslims |
Religious and Secular |
Muslims and Jews |
Jews and non-Jews |
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples |
Immigrants and non-Immigrants |
|
Total |
53% |
35% |
47% |
27% |
42% |
47% |
|
French |
59% |
29% |
48% |
30% |
32% |
49% |
|
English |
53% |
36% |
48% |
26% |
47% |
48% |
|
Other |
46% |
38% |
46% |
26% |
33% |
38% |
|
Jews |
69% |
51% |
71% |
57% |
52% |
59% |
|
Muslims |
43% |
38% |
41% |
27% |
31% |
47% |
|
Aboriginals |
49% |
37% |
42% |
23% |
57% |
52% |
Nearly two in three Canadians are concerned about the rise of racism in Canada. Specific expressions of discrimination generate lower rates of concern. Concerns over anti-Muslim sentiment (56%) and anti-immigrant sentiment (53%) are highest and anti-Aboriginal and anti-Semitic sentiment somewhat lower (both 49%).
|
|
Rise of racism in Canada |
Rise in Antisemitism in Canada |
Rise in Anti-Muslim Sentiment |
Rise in Anti-Immigrant Sentiment |
Rise in Anti-Aboriginal Sentiment |
|
TOTAL WORRIED |
62% |
49% |
56% |
53% |
49% |
|
Very worried |
22% |
14% |
17% |
17% |
16% |
|
Somewhat worried |
41% |
35% |
39% |
36% |
33% |
|
TOTAL NOT WORRIED |
34% |
38% |
36% |
37% |
44% |
|
Not very worried |
25% |
28% |
26% |
28% |
31% |
|
Not worried at all |
8% |
10% |
11% |
10% |
13% |
|
I don't know |
4% |
12% |
7% |
9% |
7% |
|
I prefer not to answer |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
As observed below those groups that are directly affected by certain manifestations of prejudice exhibit more concern with them. Canadian Jews are most concerned with a rise in anti-Semitism, Canadian Muslims with a rise in anti-Islamic sentiment and Aboriginal Canadians with a rise in anti-Aboriginal sentiment.
|
TOTAL WORRIED |
Rise of racism in Canada |
Rise in anti-Semitism in Canada |
Rise in Anti-Muslim Sentiment |
Rise in Anti-Immigrant Sentiment |
Rise in Anti-Aboriginal Sentiment |
|
Total |
62% |
49% |
56% |
53% |
49% |
|
French |
64% |
52% |
61% |
56% |
46% |
|
English |
60% |
49% |
53% |
52% |
49% |
|
Other |
66% |
41% |
55% |
55% |
48% |
|
Jews |
81% |
89% |
59% |
74% |
56% |
|
Muslims |
74% |
45% |
78% |
67% |
47% |
|
Aboriginals |
64% |
45% |
49% |
53% |
65% |