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Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia

1-26-2022

January 29, 2022, marks the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack on a Quebec City Mosque that took the lives of six innocent Muslims who left home to attend an evening prayer at the mosque.

Let’s take a moment and pray for the victims and their families of this horrendous attack. They are, Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti. They were nothing more than the average Canadians, fathers, husbands, brothers, colleagues. Islamophobia was deemed as the root cause behind this horrendous crime where a young terrorist was radicalized online to the point where he took matters in his hands and took lives of six innocent individuals and injured nineteen others. 

We Canadians seemed to think of ourselves as a multicultural mosaic living in peace and harmony with each other, tolerating our ethno-cultural differences, respecting our religious divides, and declaring our diversity as our strength and not our weakness. However, the reality is anything but that. In a published report, Two Decades of Islamophobia: The invisible toll on the health of Muslims in Canada, the author Anna-Liza Badaloo points out, “in the last five years, more Muslims have been killed in targeted hate-attacks in Canada than in any other G7 country.”

Its time the federal government take the responsibility of owning lion share of the blame for this disproportionally high number than its other G7 counterparts and create a mechanism to reverse the damage that has occurred over the past two-decades since 9/11 attacks. Much of it is rooted in enacting strict anti-terror legislations where Canadian Muslims became its unintended target as the government officials might claim. 

Canadian Muslims welcome the Federal government initiative to commemorate the victims by declaring January 29 as the Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. However, this is only a one stop step towards countering the rise of Islamophobia in Canada and towards a healing process will require several decades. However more needs to be done by all parties involved, especially the Canadian Muslims to highlight the beauty and virtues of Islam and teachings of the Quran and Prophet Mohammed PBUH. 

National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) have become the leading national advocacy group in Canada to voice the concerns of Canadian Muslims. 

NCCM had put out a call to light up the government monuments and edifices green to mark the first ever Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. 

We are pleased to inform our readers that two NDP MLA’s, Mr. Aman Singh and Ms. Rachna Singh have confirmed to AlAmeen Post editorial board that the BC Legislature will be lit green on Saturday, October 29 from 6AM to 8 AM, and later in the evening from sunset to midnight. Thus, BC Legislature becomes the very first legislature in the country to join the call and express solidarity with the Canadian Muslims and to stand against Islamophobia. 

On behalf of the Canadian Muslims we would like to extend our gratitude to Hon. Premier, BC, Mr. John Horgan and the MLA Mr. Aman Singh and Rachna Singh for their efforts and hard work in ensuring this milestone. 

On behalf of Canadian Muslim we would like to extend our gratitude to the federal government for proclaiming January 29 with the following:

A Proclamation

Whereas six persons were killed and 19 persons were injured by a gunman who entered the Islamic Cultural Centre of the City of Québec shortly after the end of evening prayers on January 29, 2017 and opened fire;

Whereas this act of terror devastated the families and friends of the victims, Muslim communities in Quebec, across Canada and around the world, and all Canadians;

Whereas it is important that Canadians have an opportunity to honour the memory of the victims, to recognize those who selflessly and courageously put themselves in harm’s way to protect others and to express solidarity with the survivors of this tragedy;

Whereas Islamophobia, racism, violent extremism, and the denial of these realities are at the root of this horrifying crime;

Whereas it is important that Canadians denounce Islamophobia and all other forms of racism, hate and religious discrimination and take action to combat them;

Whereas it is important that Canadians resolve to build a foundation for change by removing barriers and promoting a more inclusive and equitable country for all, where every person is able to participate and succeed fully and safely;

And whereas, by Order in Council P.C. 2021-276 of April 8, 2021, the Administrator of the Government of Canada in Council directed that a proclamation do issue requesting the people of Canada to observe January 29 of every year as a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia;

Now Know You that We, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council for Canada, do by this Our Proclamation request that the people of Canada observe January 29 of every year as a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.

Of all which Our loving subjects and all others whom these presents may concern are required to take notice and to govern themselves accordingly.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, We have caused this Our Proclamation to be published and the Great Seal of Canada to be affixed to it.

The groundwork has now been laid by the federal government towards healing. It is now up to the Canadian Muslims to strive to fight Islamophobia by educating Canadians and by standing up and speaking out against targeted acts against Muslims whether it be at work, on the street, outside our mosques, against ourselves or another fellow Muslim by reporting it so the government officials, and police forces can better direct their resources towards reducing the acts of terrorism targeted at Canadian Muslims by others. 

Lets resolve to eliminate Islamophobia from Canadian society making a thing of a past. 

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Article Source: ALAMEENPOST