In 2006, the Environics Institute’s inaugural project was the first-ever national survey to examine the relationship between Canadian Muslims and Canadian society-at-large (in the context of 13 other countries from research conducted by the respected Pew Research Center).

In 2016, the Environics Institute partnered with the Tessellate Institute, the Olive Tree Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, The Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and Think for Actions, to update this important research to find out how Muslims in this country are faring almost a decade later.

Muslims represent the fastest growing religious minority in Canada today, but their emerging presence has been contentious, fuelled in part by security concerns (in the long wake of 9/11) and some religious practices (e.g., Sharia law). While Canada has yet to experience the type of ethnic violence and terrorist attacks that have taken place elsewhere, Muslims in this country do not enjoy the acceptance of other religious minorities, and are a focal point for discomfort about immigrants not fitting into Canadian society. By global standards, Canada is a welcoming multicultural society but the Muslim community faces unique challenges with respect to religious freedom, national security profiling and the threat of security detentions abroad.

The survey covers a number of themes, including:

Personal connections to Canada

Muslim identity and practice

Muslim community issues

Integration into Canadian society

Treatment of Muslims in broader society

Extremism and domestic terrorism

The research also includes a complementary survey of Canada's non-Muslim population, to understand current mainstream opinions about the country's Muslim community (updating previous research conducted in 2006).

For more information, contact Keith Neuman

Project sponsors include the Muslim Council of Calgary and The Canadian Muslim Vote as project sponsors.

Keywords: Muslims, identity, religion, integration into Canadian society, Canadian values, social values, immigration, racism/discrimination, extremism/terrorism, gender equality, government policy/priorities