Religious contestation and Islamophobia among Iranian communities residing in the Greater Toronto area and York region

Abstract

Religion is an omnipresent concern for the Iranian community residing in the Greater Toronto Area and York Region (GTA and YR). While the experience of Islamophobia appears to be a unidirectional attitude from the host onto the diasporic community, this research indicates the complexities of Canada's Muslim experience. According to this research, the Iranian Diasporas present an ingroup Islamophobia by expressing anger and hostility toward Iranian Muslim community members. In an attempt to set communal boundaries by restructuring one's ethnic identity, the historical and environmental factors simultaneously influence social interaction between the Iranian Muslim community and other Iranian‐Canadians. This paper examines the Iranian religious identity and its relationship with Iranian history, Western Islamophobia, and non‐Islamiosity to examine the Iranian Muslims’ experience in Canada.