3 years after murder of Muslim family Islamophobia remains issue in Canada

TRENTON, Canada — On the second anniversary of the horrific attack on a Muslim family in the Canadian city of London, rights groups say Islamophobia has not abated in the North American country.

Two years ago, on June 6, a pickup truck plowed into a three-generation family of Pakistani origin.

They included 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, his 44-year-old wife Madhiha, their 15-year-old daughter Yuma and 74-year-old grandmother Talat.

The only survivor was the couple’s 9-year-old son.

The small town of London, with a population of about 400,000, is 200 kilometers southwest of Toronto.

The defendant, Nathaniel Veltman, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

 Prosecutors called the incident an act of terrorism. The trial against him is scheduled to begin in September.

On the eve of the second anniversary of this horrific murder, London Mayor Josh Morgan praised the “remarkable” resilience of the city’s Muslim community.

He said the fight against hatred of any kind requires courage.

“Combating hate of any kind takes courage, leadership and the ability to get up, and keep going every day. The resilience shown by the members of London’s Muslim community is nothing short of remarkable,” he said in a statement. 

Authorities had pledged to take action to combat Islamophobia and protect Muslim communities across Canada.

Rights groups, however, say there has been little progress in implementing that promise.

Taha Ghayyur, executive director of Justice for All Canada, said that despite the government’s efforts, Islamophobia continues to grow.

He said he expects leaders to show their concern.

In an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, he said federal, municipal, and provincial governments have taken concrete steps to improve Canadian discourse and awareness of Islamophobia.

“It’s highly commendable that some municipalities have adopted Islamophobia as a strategic priority, even passing anti-street harassment laws related to the issue of Islamophobia,” he said.

These include funding infrastructure to address hate-motivated crimes in places of worship, he said.

He also said the government has appointed a special envoy to combat Islamophobia.

He added that last Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, it was observed that the rate of anti-Muslim hate incidents was increasing in the Greater Toronto Area.

The number of attacks on mosques, including in Montreal, has increased significantly.

-More representation needed 

Ghayyur said one way to create a safer environment is to “ensure “better representation of Muslims in Canadian municipal offices.”

“Muslims in these spaces are underrepresented, including in Muslim-populated cities. Similarly, there needs to be a motion calling on all municipalities to make combatting Islamophobia a priority.”

In London, a vigil for the Afzaal family was held Tuesday at the site of the tragedy.

Many more events are planned throughout the month.

The public library will spotlight Muslim authors.

The City Museum will display the mural ” London Remembers,” and a question-and-answer session will be held at the London Mosque on Saturday.

Next week, on June 17, area businesses will open a Garden of Reflection and Remembrance in honor of the Afzaal family.