Anti-Sikh hate on the rise in Canada, says WSO as it releases landmark national report

THE World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) on Monday released its national Anti-Sikh Hate Report, one of the most comprehensive examinations of anti-Sikh bias in Canada to date, drawing on over 1,600 survey responses and insights from townhalls held across the country.

The report is titled Understanding & Addressing Anti-Sikh Hate in Canada. Funding for the study was provided by the Canada Race Relations Foundation. 

The full report is now available online.

According to the report:

• 80% of respondents believe anti-Sikh hate has increased over the past five years

• 65% reported experiencing verbal harassment, the most common form of hate.

• 91% of visibly identifiable Sikhs reported being targeted

• 70% of victims did not report incidents, citing fear, futility, or lack of institutional trust

• 65% reported significant impacts on their mental health, including anxiety, trauma, and depression 

Survey respondents reported serious impacts on the safety, mental health, and the daily lives of Sikh Canadians.

The report identifies two primary drivers of anti-Sikh hate:  domestic racism and xenophobia and transnational repression and disinformation linked to India.  

The report highlights that incidents occur across multiple settings, including schools, workplaces, public spaces, and airports. It also identifies disproportionate impacts on visibly identifiable Sikhs, Sikh women, international students, and Sikhs in Québec.

The WSO said that notably, 89% of French-speaking Sikhs in Québec reported experiencing anti-Sikh hate, compared to 65% of non-French speakers. This challenges the conventional assumption that greater linguistic and cultural integration leads to reduced discrimination. Instead, it suggests that increased visibility within the mainstream may, in some cases, heighten exposure to bias.

These findings must also be understood in the context of Québec’s Bill 21, which prohibits individuals in positions of authority, including teachers, judges, and police officers, from wearing religious symbols. The law has contributed to a climate that risks normalizing exclusion, fueling xenophobia, and deepening intolerance toward visibly identifiable religious minorities.

The WSO said the findings also point to the growing impact of anti-Sikh narratives originating in India, with 54% of respondents reporting hate based on their political views or perceived support for Khalistan. Sustained Indian disinformation and propaganda efforts have sought to stigmatize Sikh political expression by equating it with extremism and criminality.

In this context, the term “Khalistani” is frequently used in India as a pejorative label for Sikhs more broadly, contributing to the spread of harmful stereotypes. The report indicates that the effects of these narratives are increasingly being felt in Canada, where they are shaping perceptions and fueling discrimination against Sikh communities.

The report calls for urgent and concrete action, including:

• Adopting a formal definition of anti-Sikh hate;

• Improving hate crime tracking and data disaggregation;

• Investing in public education and awareness;

• Addressing transnational repression and disinformation.

WSO President Danish Singh said: “The Anti-Sikh Hate Report is the first of its kind in Canada and represents the largest dataset of Sikh experiences in the country to date. The findings confirm what our community has felt for some time, that anti-Sikh hate is rising and is having a serious impact on Sikh Canadians, who are navigating harassment and discrimination in their daily lives simply because of who they are.

“The current response is not meeting the scale of this challenge. Our study identifies the key drivers of anti-Sikh hate as domestic racism and xenophobia, as well as disinformation originating from India. Governments, institutions, and civil society must take meaningful action to ensure that anti-Sikh hate is effectively addressed.”

The report was launched in an event at Brampton City Hall in Ontario on Saturday. The event featured Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon, Gurbaj Singh Multani, and Dr. Jaspreet Kaur Bal, who each spoke to the ongoing challenges facing Sikh Canadians and the importance of protecting religious freedom and inclusion.

Further launch events will be taking place as follows:

* Surrey: Friday, April 24, 6-8 p.m., SFU Surrey (SRYE) 10285 University Drive.

* Calgary: Saturday, April 25, 3:30-7:30 p.m., Platform Calgary 407 9 Avenue SE.

* Winnipeg: Sunday, April 26, 4-6 p.m., Academy Optical, 525 Academy Road #1.

The WSO extended its gratitude to the more than 1,600 participants who shared their experiences, helping to shed light on an issue that must be addressed.