Words do actually have meanings. "Islamophobia" means an irrational fear of Islam. It does not mean anti-Muslim bigotry or discrimination, although it fits the agenda of some to use it that way. Leaving aside the question of whether fear of Islam is irrational, fear is a personal issue, and it's not up to Parliament to censure it or decide on means to "quell" it. The regulation of personal beliefs is one of the main principles of Islam, not of our secular democracy.

The same goes for hate. It's not illegal to hate, though it's illegal and antisocial to express that hatred in dangerous or discriminatory ways. The Globe itself gets muddled about this, as in the article that Ms Renzetti cites, whose headline stated that there had been an increase in "hate crimes". The article itself cited only a number of reported and unsubstantiated "hate incidents". An act is a hate crime only if it is criminal in itself and aggravated by hatred for a group.