Muslim group disappointed bill to curb hate attacks won't come before June 6 anniversary
Nawaz Tahir says his group will continue to raise the issue during election campaign
It isn't lost on Nawaz Tahir that the one-year anniversary of the June 6 attack against the Afzaal family and the Ontario provincial election will fall just five days apart.
This week it became clear that a piece of provincial legislation drafted in response to last spring's attack — Bill 86, known as the Our London Family Act — won't become law ahead of the provincial election on June 2.
The bill contains a number of changes designed to curb the kind of Islamophobia that police believe played a role in the attack that killed a 15-year-old girl, her parents and her grandmother.
"There's a disappointment that more isn't being done to effect change faster," said Tahir, a lawyer who also chairs the Hikma Public Affairs Council, a political advocacy group for local Muslims. "It would show the Muslim community that this is really important and that the safety and security of Muslims is a priority for elected officials."
Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their daughter Yumna Afzaal, 15, and Salman Afzaal's mother, Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed June 6 of last year. The couple's son, Fayez, 9, was treated and released from hospital.
The 21-year-old man charged in the killings will stand trial in September 2023. He is facing four counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and associated terrorism charges.
The deaths triggered a national outpouring of grief and raised new questions about the Islamophobia and the ability of existing laws to curb hate-fuelled attacks.
In Tahir's view, the bill includes a number of measures that would make Muslims and other marginalized groups safer including:
- A mandated provincial review of all hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents.
- Safe zones around religious institutions that would prohibit "acts of intimidation."
- Rules to prevent groups that promote hate to form non-profit corporations.
- The development of a provincial anti-racism and anti-Islamophobia strategy for schools.
- Allowing the speaker at Queen's Park to ban protests at the provincial legislature that incite racist, homophobic, transphobic or xenophobic hate.
The bill was written in conjunction with the National Council of Canadian Muslims, dedicated to the Afzaal family and tabled by the NDP.
The bill underwent first reading in late February but won't be passed before the spring session ends prior to the election.
In a news release issued Wednesday, the NDP says they'll pass the law if they form government. The Ontario Liberals have said the same as have the Ontario Greens.
Tahir says his group will work with whatever party forms the next government to make changes that will improve safety for Muslims. However, he does feel Bill 86 should have received a vote by now.
"We'd like to believe that when such a traumatic event like that happens, that we can move fast with corrective action," he said. "It is disappointing that at the one-year anniversary that we're not going to have this legislation. We really want the issue of fighting Islamophobia to be a non-partisan one."
Tahir says his group will take an active role in engaging with provincial politicians once the campaign kicks off, including possibly hosting all-candidates debates and meeting regularly with candidates.