N.L. community groups call for action against Islamophobia during vigil for London family

Nearly 70 people attended a rally in front of the Masjid-al-Noor Mosque in St. John's on Friday, held by community groups to remember the victims of an Islamophobic attack in London, Ont., earlier this month.

Speakers shared emotional accounts during the event, with many calling for action to address hate.

On June 6, a truck drove into a family out for a walk in the community, killing four family members. The only survivor, the family's nine-year-old son, was seriously injured in the attack.

Jannath Naveed of Memorial University's Muslim Students' Association spoke about the personal impact of the attack during the event.

"This incident has left the Muslim community heartbroken and disappointed, to say the least," she said.

"We're scared, anxious and helpless, and I'm sure at some point a lot of us have thought, 'That could have been me.'"

Syed Pirzada, president of the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, raised concerns about the level of tolerance in Canada.

"[Canada is] a country which was once the beacon of tolerance, peace and harmony, a country whose fabric was woven with all the ethnicities, races and religions, making a beautiful and colourful collage," Pirzada said.

"Now, right in front of our eyes, that very fabric of peace and harmony is being torn apart."

Robert Leamon, speaking for the Indigenous Activist Collective, voiced his frustration over what he described as government inaction and underlying racism in Canadian society.

"They can't say that they don't know what to do to address Islamophobia and racism," Leamon said. 

"We've been telling them for years, decades, generations, through countless reports, recommendations and ongoing advocacy that seemed to end up in libraries instead of legislatures."

Pirzada echoed Leamon's demands for action and asked for legislation on Islamophobia.

Delores Mullings of the province's Anti-Racism Coalition urged politicians to take on responsibility.

"If these murders mean more to you than a photo opportunity, show us with actions. A lack of action means you are encouraging and condoning the hunting of Canadian Muslims as a sport. This is unacceptable and must stop right now," she said.

Gerry Byrne, the minister of immigration, population growth and skills, pledged to take the demands seriously and act.

"The position the government of Newfoundland and Labrador has taken … is to form a special ministerial committee on racism," the minister said.

"To deal not only with issues of Islamophobia, but antisemitism, of racism, of bigotry, of Indigenous prejudice, to deal with all elements that are systemic in our society that need to be dealt with."

The lone survivor of this month's attack was on the minds of many during the vigil, with Pirzada giving a powerful reminder of what was lost during the attack.

"Imagine … on Father's Day, your nine-year-old boy waking up, not only without his father, but only to find out that his entire family has disappeared."

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