| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, October 7, 2016 | 6:00PM - 7:30PM | The Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs 1 Devonshire Place |
Islam and Global Affairs Initiative
This event will also be available via live webcast, and can be viewed at the following link on October 7 starting at 6:00pm:
https://hosting2.desire2learncapture.com/MUNK/1/live/381.aspx
In the home stretch of the 2016 US Presidential Election, American voters have become increasingly divided over one key demographic: Muslims. On one side, Donald Trump has called for an outright ban of all Muslims coming into the United States, declaring over one billion persons on the planet persona non grata. On the other side, Hilary Clinton has denounced Trump’s proposed ban as both racist and unconstitutional. With polls showing these two candidates neck-in-neck, the American people are clearly divided over the “Muslim question”.
Across the Atlantic, a similar story unfolds. With war raging in Syria and Iraq, millions of refugees have made the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes of landing safely in Europe. Some leaders, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have welcomed these refugees and called for tolerance. Across Europe, however, this massive influx of predominantly Muslim men from the Middle East has also provoked anti-immigration political parties to demand a full-scale ban on these migrants, associating them with rape and terrorism. In the heat of this xenophobic backlash, some leaders have also called for a ban on other symbols associated with Islam, such as hijabs, burkas, and “burkinis”.
What explains this dramatic divide across North America and Europe? Why are some countries experiencing a backlash against Muslims and refugees, while others have maintained a welcoming and tolerant attitude? What are the implications of this rising tide of xenophobia for democracy, peace, and international security? To answer these questions, the Islam and Global Affairs Initiative at the Munk School, in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of the United States (CSUS) and the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES), is pleased to host a panel discussion with leading scholars at the University of Toronto working on these critical issues.
Randall Hansen is Director of the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, Munk School of Global Affairs and Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Immigration & Governance in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He works on Immigration and Citizenship, Demography and Population Policy and the Effects of War on Civilians.
Anna Korteweg is Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology, University of Toronto Mississauga. Her research focuses on the integration of Muslim immigrants in Western Europe and Canada.
Chris Cochrane is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. He works on anti-immigration sentiment and left and right wing political parties in Canada and other democracies.
Phil Triadafilopoulos is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. His research focuses on immigration and integration of Muslim migrants in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
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