Mayor's Statement on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack

Statement from Mayor Vrbanovic on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the senseless anti-Muslim attack in a Quebec City mosque that killed six men on Jan. 29, 2017. Kitchener joins cities and communities across Canada today to take a moment of silence to remember:

• Ibrahima Barry
• Mamadou Tanou Barry
• Khaled Belkacemi
• Abdelkrim Hassane
• Azzeddine Soufiane
• Aboubaker Thabti

We also remember the 19 people injured, some severely, and the trauma these survivors experienced.

The City of Kitchener joins fellow Canadians in reflecting on this National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. We condemn the senseless attack at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec and commit to the collective fight to end Islamophobia.

Regrettably, this anti-Muslim act is one of many examples we have witnessed across our nation and in Waterloo Region.

More recently, and closer to home, we remember the devastating vehicle attack in London, ON, in 2021 that killed Madiha Salman; Yumna Afzaal; Salman Afzaal and Talat Afzaal and left their son, Fayez Afzaal, injured and orphaned.

That year, according to Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes against Muslims rose 71 per cent and, in our community, dozens of people reported incidents of hate or discrimination, religious or otherwise. The Coalition of Muslim Women KW reports learning of hate incidents and acts of racial discrimination most notably in schools, healthcare settings, housing and places of worship.

This week, communities across Canada are standing in unity with our Muslim neighbours in illuminating buildings and infrastructure in green lights, providing supportive messaging on signage boards and joining in the national Green Square Campaign, which is organized by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and others.

In Kitchener this past week, Carl Zehr Square at City Hall has been lit green. This weekend, all City of Kitchener community centres with digital signs are also displaying messages of support for the #GreenSquareCampaign.

I encourage Kitchener residents to join me in participating in the Green Square Campaign to show that we stand with those working to eliminate Islamophobia, hate and racism in Canada. More information can be found at www.nccm.ca/greensquare.

Islamophobia and religious hate have no place in our community, in Canada or anywhere. No one should be discriminated against based on their religion. Today, we stand in solidarity with our local Muslim community as we remember victims of anti-Muslim attacks in Quebec City, and across Ontario and Canada.

We also thank local leaders such as those with the Coalition of Muslim Women KW; Muslim Social Services of Kitchener Waterloo; the Muslim Association of Canada; the Maple Grove School; and others who work tirelessly every day to educate our community and combat Islamophobia throughout Kitchener and Waterloo Region.