Anniversary of mosque shooting marked

Ten white roses and a moment of silence were part of a National Day of Remembrance and Action Against Islamophobia event Thursday evening at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

Members of Manitoba’s Muslim, Indigenous and interfaith communities attended the event, which commemorated the ninth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting. The London, Ont., family murdered in a hate-motivated vehicle attack in June 2021 were also remembered.

Invited guests lay white roses in front of pictures of Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti, who were gunned down not long after evening prayers on Jan. 29, 2017.

Another four white roses were placed in front of a photo of Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Yumnah Afzaal and Talat Afzaal.

Speakers acknowledged “widening manifestations of anti-Muslim hate” in Canada and around the world throughout the event. They called on attendees to remember Muslim community members who have been the target of hate, and to work for peace and justice.

“We have to make sure that we do not just drown in our own grief and forget (others) because… we are one humanity,” said Shahina Siddiqui, co-founder of the Islamic Social Services Association Canada.

“Go home in peace. Hug your children and your grandchildren — that will sustain you.”

Diane Dwarka, a representative from the Christian community, was asked to speak. Instead of giving a speech, she said a prayer.

“Help us recognize the ways Islamophobia shows up in our communities, our institutions and even within ourselves,” Dwarka said. “Bless our Muslim neighbours with safety, dignity and joy. Let every mosque (and) every home… be sheltered in your peace.”

David Budd, an Indigenous elder, spoke about Crazy Horse, a chief of the Oglala band of Lakota Sioux, who had a vision of all nations gathering together under the Tree of Life and becoming brothers and sisters.

“That’s what’s unfolding now,” Budd said. “That’s what’s happening now.”

A large crowd of people filled the legislative building’s rotunda for the event.

It was Lakshmi Nayar’s first time attending. She said she wanted to show her support for a Muslim friend who was also there.

“I think it’s important for all people in the world to feel safe,” Nayar said. “There’s a lot of chaos and misunderstanding, so I think it’s important to show support.”

For Rubin Kantorovich, it was significant that the event was held in the legislature.

“There are problems with racism all over the world and it’s nice to see it acknowledged here in the house of governance,” Kantorovich said.

He praised the provincial government’s three-year action plan for Manitoba schools to help them address Islamophobia.

“It’s positive because you can sweep problems under the rug or you can face them,” Kantorovich said. “The latter is better.”

 

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca

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