A board member with an arms-length federal government agency whose mandate is to combat racial discrimination has been fired after making controversial remarks about Islam.

Christine Douglass-Williams has sat on the board of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, based in Toronto, since 2012 and her term was to expire next year.

She's also been writing for the controversial website JihadWatch nearly the entire time.

But an essay in May that warned Icelanders they're being duped by seemingly moderate Muslims caught the government's attention and her position was placed under review.

Douglass-Williams says she's now been informed her position has been terminated.

A spokesman for Heritage Minister Melanie Joly says the foundation's board must recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion.