Windsor walk to honour slain London Muslim family as accused's trial set for fall

For the second year in a row, Windsor, Ont., is holding a Walk of Solidarity to honour a Muslim family that was killed while out for a walk in London, Ont.

And with the trial for the accused killer expected to take place in Windsor this September, one of the organizers says this year's walk feels different with what's on the horizon. 

Regional coordinator for Islamic Relief Canada Aliya Samsair says it's "frightening" and definitely makes what happened in London feel even more real.

"It's becoming very real and it's a little bit scary, I'm not going to lie," said Samsair. 

"But at the same time, there is this sense of justice because if there was any community that would be able to bring this [alleged] killer to justice, I have no doubt that it would be the Windsor community."

As much as there is fear and dread, says Samsair, there are also feelings of hope and justice. 

On June 6, 2021, five Afzaal family members were run over by a driver in what police called a hate-motivated attack. Parents Salman Afzaal and Madiha Salman along with grandmother Talat Afzaal and daughter 15-year-old Yumnah Afzaal were killed. The couple's son, 9 at the time, survived the attack. 

Amna Masoodi, volunteer with Windsor's Walk of Solidarity, says she felt numb when she first found out the accused killer's trial was coming to a Windsor courthouse this fall.

"It feels like you're hearing the news of the attack for the first time," she said.

"If the attacker's in our own city there's of course some worries of what could come along with that because I've heard from people in London that he [accused] did have some supporters and they might follow him to Windsor to support him throughout his trial." 

Masoodi says it's "definitely complicated" and potentially "traumatic" having to possibly interact with people who don't normally live in Windsor and deciding whether or not she, as a Muslim, should attend the trial to support the family. 

"I do think it's an opportunity to keep having a conversation and maybe to take some bigger steps toward dismantling Islamophobia within Windsor."

London and Windsor Muslim communities are 'so close'

Samsair says the Muslim communities in London and Winsdor are "so close" which made 2021's hate-motivated attack so difficult to deal with across southwestern Ontario.

"The London Muslim community mirrors the Windsor Mosque community very similarly." 

"A lot of Muslims in Windsor, we did feel this when the attack did happen. It really hit personally because we did imagine ourselves being in that position. And that could have been any one of us."

Coming away from that tragedy, definitely made the Windsor Muslim community a lot more hyper vigilant with small micro aggressions — people being aware of their surroundings, says Samsair.

"You know, many of us have over two or three generations that we live with here in Windsor. So hearing about that family where three generations were wiped out — that was absolutely heartbreaking. I know a lot of Windsor Muslims kind of felt that they could picture their own families being affected by that tragedy."

Samsair hopes for support from non-Muslims during Tuesday night's solidarity walk — calling it one of the "most beautiful things" when she's able to partner with organizations and people that are not mainly Muslim.

"We're all Canadian. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what your faith is, it doesn't matter what you look like. None of these things matter because we are Canadians and we should care about each other."

Masoodi says the walk is about honouring the family and it's also about grieving.

"It's going to be very solemn."

"This is not about my belief and your belief. This is about a family that was actually murdered simply because of the faith that they follow. And that's one of the most anti-Canadian things anyone could ever do."

Tuesday's walk starts at 7 p.m. at Windsor's Bert Weeks Memorial Gardens, near the waterfront, and concludes at the Canadian flag.