Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Islamophobia was “unacceptable” and stressed the need for putting an “end” to such hate against Muslim communities as world leaders make effort to bridge the gap between different communities following attacks in the past.

The Canadian PM also appointed a Special Representative on combatting Islamophobia, according to his tweet on Saturday.

“Islamophobia is unacceptable. Full stop. We need to put an end to this hate and make our communities safer for Muslim Canadians. To help with that, we intend to appoint a Special Representative on combatting Islamophobia,” it read.

The Canadian PM joins Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on December 25 while addressing an annual news conference, had said that insulting Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) does not count as the expression of artistic freedom. “Insults to the prophet (PBUH) are a violation of religious freedom and sacred feelings of people, who profess Islam. These acts give rise to extremist reprisals,” the Russian president had said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday welcomes Canadian PM Trudeau’s tweet and “unequivocal condemnation” of Islamophobia and plan to appoint a Special Representative to combat this contemporary scourge. “His timely call to action resonates with what I have long argued. Let us join hands to put an end to this menace,” it read.

The Canadian premier also shared a statement. ‘Islamophobia and hate, in any form, have no place in Canada,” it read.

“Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, highlighted the federal government’s intention to appoint a special representative on combatting Islamophobia. This appointment will be part of a renewed Government of Canada Anti-Racism Strategy,” it added.

Last year, according to the statement the Canadian government announced its intention to make January 29 a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. This year, on the eve of the five-year anniversary of this act of terror, the Government of Canada stood with and supported Muslim communities across Canada and reaffirmed its commitment to take action to denounce and tackle Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence.

“Islamophobia is a concrete and daily reality for Muslim communities across Canada and around the world. As we honour the victims, we must remember that we have a responsibility to combat discrimination and continue to build a more inclusive Canada,” it read.

The special representative appointment was one of the recommendations put forward during the virtual National Summit on Islamophobia in July 2021 that is part of Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy to tackle Islamophobia in all its forms.

“Confronting Islamophobia is an important part of this strategy. It includes a whole-of-government approach to tackling systemic racism with dedicated knowledge and expertise through the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, as well as investments to empower communities to combat different forms of racism, including Islamophobia, and to advance digital and civic literacy initiatives that address online disinformation and hate speech,” it read, adding that details on the role and mandate of the special representative would be confirmed at a later date.

Four members of a Pakistani Canadian family were killed and a nine-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when they were run over by a pickup truck in Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. According to the Canadian police, the family, who moved to Canada from Pakistan in 2007, was "targeted because they were Muslim."