E/CN.4/2004/18/Add.2 page 18 57. In spite of the negative perception of the media by racial and ethnic minorities, it is worth mentioning that Canada has an institution, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission that seeks to ensure that “the diversity of Canadian society is reflected fairly and consistently in the programming” and reporting of radio stations and television channels. There is also a Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, established by the broadcasting industry, which receives complaints about racial discrimination and other concerns set out in the Code of Ethics of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. 58. The Special Rapporteur was also afforded the opportunity to visit the OMNI television headquarters in Toronto. This television network is committed, through its multilingual and multi-ethnic OMNI 1 and 2 channels, to promote and display Canadian diversity in the media. OMNI TV’s staff is as diverse as Canadian society and the TV network is a leading provider of ethnocultural television programming. It broadcasts 60 per cent of its programming in 15 languages to communities encompassing more than 18 cultures. G. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia 59. Representatives of the Jewish community have testified that Jews are suffering from hatred and discrimination. The Special Rapporteur has been told that incidents of anti-Semitism, including Holocaust denial, incitement to genocide, hate-mongering, vandalism, arson, harassment, labelling as dispossessors and murderers, have increased recently in Canada. Representatives of the Jewish community have pointed out that the greatest danger is subtle racism against Jews, based on misconceptions (i.e. the stereotype of wealth - where Jews achieve success, their Jewishness causes concern). Yet, the same percentages of Jews live below the poverty line as the general population. There is currently a resurgent right wing; there is a permission to say things about Jews, to question them, because of their Jewishness. In Quebec, there have been a number of hateful incidents targeting Jews: the numbers of anti-Jewish graffiti (i.e. swastikas) found in Montreal has increased; recently, three synagogues have been bombed across Canada. 60. B’nai B’rith Canada, which runs an assistance programme to victims of anti-Semitism and publishes an annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents, has indicated that, in 2002, 459 incidents were reported, an increase of 60.48 per cent from 2001: 282 (61.44 per cent) were classified as harassment, 148 (32.24 per cent) as vandalism and 29 (6.32 per cent) as violence. It is worth noting that this was the highest number of incidents in the 20-year history of the audit, a figure that is likely to be much higher in reality due to underreporting. 61. Canada’s Muslims and Arabs have allegedly also been, as communities as well as individuals, victims of hate crimes, particularly, since the tragedy of 11 September 2001. This has been detailed in the Special Rapporteur’s 2003 report to the Commission (E/CN.4/2003/23 and 24). It appears from information received from representatives of these communities that there was an initial surge immediately after the 11 September attacks. Although this surge did not seem to mark a long-term increase in the level of attacks on Muslims and Arabs, members of these communities continue to feel victimized. They also alleged that they were often victims of racial profiling.14 The Special Rapporteur learned that some media have been playing a negative role in fostering negative images of Arabs and Muslims.15 Some of the major negative portrayals allegedly involve Arab/Muslims as “foreign elements/other, people who are unable to live in peace with others, sleeper terrorists”.