Open invite to ceremony for Quebec mosque shooting victims: N.L Muslim Association
CBC News | Posted: January 29, 2019 7:47 PM | Last Updated: January 29, 2019
Muslim community promoting tolerance at ceremony to mark grim anniversary
People of different religious beliefs, politicians and police officers are just some of the attendees expected at Tuesday's ceremony in St. John's to honour and remember those who were killed at a Quebec City mosque exactly two years ago.
"We expect anybody who wants to come and join," said Mansoor Pirzada, president of the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.
"It's going to be a very short meeting. They will express their thoughts, and there will be a short prayer for the people who died and people who are dealing with injuries and everything."
Six people were killed and 19 others injured when Alexandre Bissonette opened fire during a prayer service at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec on Jan.29, 2017. He will be sentenced on Feb. 8.
Ripple effect
In the months following the Quebec massacre, enhanced security measures came into effect at the St. John's mosque, such as installing security gates.
But Pirzada said smaller, and more subtle, attacks on Muslims persist in many areas of Canadian life.
A recent Statistics Canada report shows the number of hate crimes in Canada has gone up in each of the past four years, driven by increased attacks on Muslim, Jewish and black populations.
"We have seen over the past several years that the hate crimes have increased, tremendously," Pirzada said.
"Today's remembrance is to not only remember those who died, but also those who are surviving with this huge trauma."
'Canada not the place for hate'
Pirzada said the event, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Masjid Al Noor on Logy Bay Road, is a chance for all people to show they reject racism and religious intolerance.
"Canada is not the place for hate. Canada is not the place for racism or bigotry," he said.
"It's a continuing effort, it's not just a one-time thing."
In recent years, Pirzada notes that many Muslims have made an extra effort to get involved in their community.
In St. John's, for example, Muslims have gone door-to-door shovelling driveways in the winter. Many local schools have also sent classes to visit the mosque.
It's through these efforts that Pirzada believes there can be a lasting positive legacy from one of the worst hate crimes in recent Canadian history.
"We have to live together, and that's what we are trying to teach our community at large, and students and schools." he said.