Leaders of rival demonstrations over the federal government’s Islamophobia motion say they hope there’s no violence when their competing views square off at city hall on Saturday.

The Winnipeg March for Freedom, Liberty & Justice is for those who fear that M-103 — the private member’s motion launched last year by Ontario MP Igra Khalid and debated in Parliament on Feb. 15 – “is trying to elevate Islam or any other religion or beliefs in Canada,” Georges Hallak, the founder of the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens, said.

“To be honest with you, it seems to me the beginning of Sharia Law in Canada where anyone who criticizes Allah or Muhammad is silenced,” the Montreal resident said Thursday.

The motion asks the government to “recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear” and “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.”

The private member’s motion carries no force of law and doesn’t usurp the Canadian Charter of Rights, but Hallak and other critics of the motion feel it sets the stage for the institutionalization of religious law from Islamic tradition.

The Winnipeg march is one of many Hallak has helped organize in communities across Canada. Many are being met with counter-protests, including the Counter Rally against Winnipeg Islamophobes, which is planned to start at 11:30 a.m., a half-hour before the march.

“They’re very open with their Islamophobia, there’s no doubt,” Omar Kinnarath, a Muslim who is one of the organizers said. “I think they’re misguided in a lot of ways with their interpretation of what Islam is.”

Kinnarath said the group is using a lot of propaganda and fear-mongering coming out of Europe and from the United States to promote white supremacy and said the local event is being used as a “feeler” to “see what sticks.”

Kinnarath said he and a group of friends were looking to start an anti-Fascist response in Winnipeg to counter the far-right ideology creeping in, and admits the march came along at a perfect time for the group, known as Fascist Free Treaty 1.

On Facebook, the march has interest and attendees in the teens, while more than 500 have said they’ll attend the counter-protest and double that have expressed interest.

Kinnarath said they aren’t expecting a confrontation, noting they’ve done that by setting up the protest and opposing the CCCC’s beliefs and actions.

“Going into the rally, we’re looking at it as a celebration,” he said, noting they’ll have participants from a wide spectrum of beliefs and interests.

“We’ll do our best to be there to counter them, but we’re not going to be there for them. We’ll be there for us. To say this is what the city looks like, this is what the country looks like, this is what peace and harmony looks like.”

The group intends to continue to oppose and expose hate groups on Winnipeg Treaty 1 land and surroundings.

Hallak denies inciting hate and said he is respectful of Muslims “as long as they come to our country and respect the laws of our country.”

He is hopeful they’ll have “100 or 200” marchers as part of a movement he said has brought together over 2,500 people and 50-100 organizers in just one month.

“I believe in a period of one year we’re going to be much bigger and the government is going to start listening.”

Kking@postmedia.com