For the first time in years, religion has surpassed language as the expected cause of social strife in the coming years, according to a poll conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies.
"In 30 years, I've never seen this," said Jack Jedwab, executive director of the association.
He said the results surprised him because in past polls, Canadians were usually concerned about English-French or aboriginal vs. non-aboriginal differences.
"There is a growing concern about the vulnerability of religious groups," he said.
Jedwab said most Canadians polled this time were worried about the rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.
The poll, conducted by Environics between March 29 and April 18, surveyed 2,014 Canadians.
The results, however, do not reflect the experience of the 650,000-strong Islamic community in Canada, according to Wahida Valiante, national vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress.
"What we've experienced since 9/11 is (that) there has been a tremendous amount of open dialogue between Islamic, Christian and Jewish groups," she said in a telephone interview from Waterloo, Ont.
The poll finding is no surprise to Jeffrey Boro, incoming president of the Quebec section of Canadian Jewish Congress, who says it reflects Canada's greater diversity.
"The world is shrinking and we don't live in a homogeneous culture anymore," Boro said. The perception of tension to come "is of great concern to us."
To head off such a development, the CJC is planning "outreach efforts" in coming months to various communities and religions so that "we know them and they know us and this will hopefully make for more harmonious relations."
Forty-three per cent of those polled felt conflict between religious groups would be the greatest source of tension in the years ahead. People in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta were most likely to think this, while the majority of people polled in Saskatchewan (52 per cent) said tension between aboriginal and non-
aboriginal groups would be the greatest source of tension.
Tensions between ethnic groups were rated as the second-most likely cause of discord.
Only 13 per cent of those polled felt that tension between English- and French-speaking groups would be a problem. The fact that language and the sovereignty question are off the radar probably can be viewed as a positive development, Jedwab said.
Issues that have received a lot of media attention, such as the controversy in France over the barring of Islamic head scarves and the brouhaha over a Sikh boy in Quebec not being allowed to wear his kirpan (ceremonial dagger) to school, have highlighted religious questions, Jedwab said.
"Governments have to sensitize people about various religions," he said. "We'll have to have more meaningful discussions about this."
But at the government level, Valiante said, a double standard exists. When Jewish homes, cemeteries or synagogues were defaced, for example, the government was quick to denounce the act. But the same swift outrage wasn't forthcoming when a (Pickering, Ont.) mosque was burned, she said.
Patricia Rimok, president of an advisory council to Quebec's minister for citizenship and immigration, said she was surprised by the poll results.
She said tensions tend to arise here depending on events beyond our borders. But there is a feeling of accommodation and willingness to solve problems before they get out of hand, she added.
Problems typically arise in such areas as municipal zoning, for example, as when a group wants to build a mosque in a residential area, Rimok said.
The other touchy area is in education. If students need space to pray five times a day, it can cause resentment if it is not understood, she said.
"The cultures are far different than what we were used to 20 years ago," she said. "Rituals can be shocking so education has to be done from that point of view."
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.