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

Today marks the 5^th anniversary of the Quebec City Mosque attack when six individuals tragically lost their lives in an anti-Muslim terrorist attack in Quebec City on January 29, 2017. Today, residents of Kitchener, join fellow Canadians across our region and across Canada to honour and remember these six individuals who were killed and to ensure they are not forgotten:

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

Nineteen other people were also injured that day in the senseless attack at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec, a place of worship where people gather in peace and prayer.

Sadly, this anti-Muslim act is one of several examples we have witnessed across our country and even here in our own region in recent memory. There was the tragic vehicle attack last summer in London, ON that killed Madiha Salman, Salman Afzaal, Yumna Afzaal and Talat Afzaal and left their son, Fayez Afzaal injured and orphaned, as well as the vandalism brought upon the Baitul Kareem Mosque in Cambridge, ON.

Today, communities across Canada will be standing united 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.

In Kitchener, regional buildings like Schneider Haus will be lit in green and all City of Kitchener community centres with digital signs will have the following message displayed: “We stand with victims of the Quebec mosque shooting. We stand against Islamophobia.” Our Council will also continue to take a principled stand as we did this week on issues that further spread division such as the Province of Quebec’s Bill 21.

I encourage local residents to join me in participating in The Green Square campaign, organized by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and others to show that we all stand with those working to eradicate Islamophobia, hate and racism in Canada. More info 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 and remember the victims. We also thank local leaders such as those with the Coalition of Muslim Women, the Muslim Association of Canada, the Maple Grove school and others who work tirelessly every day to educate our community and counter Islamophobia in Kitchener and throughout Waterloo Region.