SoVote

Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

Jun/6/22 2:00:14 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, yesterday, in London, I stood with hundreds of my neighbours, friends and community members to remember the lost members of the Afzaal family: Salman, Talat, Madiha and Yumna. Young Muslim leaders spoke about the change they need to see from us. They are charging us to act. We have become accustomed to memorializing the losses of men killed in prayer, of women killed crossing the street because they are wearing the hijab and of children killed because we refused to let go of our biases, our insecurities and our fears. We have a responsibility to do better. Islamophobia is structural, and we must review the structures that put our community in harm's way to stop the violence, the microaggressions and the hate. We must take a stand against the dehumanization of Muslims and of all those who are targeted because of their religion, the colour of their skin, what they wear, their culture, their language, their sexuality or their gender. This is our only path forward. This is a time for courage, for human rights and for love. This is a time for action.

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Mrs. Karen Vecchio (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC)

Jun/6/22 2:17:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise in the House today on the anniversary of the Afzaal family massacre. On June 6, 2021, Yumna Afzaal, her parents Madiha Salman and Salman Afzaal, and her grandmother Talat Afzaal were out on a Sunday walk when they were killed by a vehicle jumping the curb. One man made a decision to end the lives of four innocent people simply because of their faith. There are not enough words to describe the hateful, deliberate and discriminatory motive behind this attack. We live in a country that promotes diversity, culture and inclusion, yet Muslims across the country walk the streets of Canadian cities daily afraid that they might be attacked because of their faith. My thoughts and prayers are with the Afzaal family, the London community and all Muslims in Canada and across the world. Our job is to ensure safety and protection for all. We need concrete solutions that will fight hate and discrimination and ensure that everyone feels safe in our country. I pledge to do my part.

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Mr. Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville, Lib.)

Jun/6/22 2:18:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, Madiha and Salman Afzaal, their daughter Yumna, and her grandmother Talat were brutally murdered in London, Ontario. They were killed for one reason: They were Muslim. Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal, in the blink of an eye, became an orphan and lost his sister and his grandmother. Their murder shook us to our core and united Canadians in our grief. For Muslims across Canada, in the Afzaals we saw our own families, because the Afzaals were our family, and they could have been any of us. Many of us asked, “How could this happen in Canada?” We are not immune to the hate of those who fear difference or refuse to see our common humanity. It is up to all of us to keep the promise we made a year ago: to defeat Islamophobia by building a Canada where we all belong. Today, we remember Salman, Madiha, Yumna and Talat. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return. May the souls of our London family rest in eternal peace.

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Mr. Sameer Zuberi (Pierrefonds—Dollard, Lib.)

Jun/6/22 3:06:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last year, in the community of London, Ontario, a heinous Islamophobic attack took the lives of four members of the Afzaal family and left a young son orphaned. Canadian Muslims are no strangers to acts of violence and hate: the Centre culturel islamique de Québec, the IMO mosque in Etobicoke as well as London. Hate and bigotry have no place in Canada. We must all contribute to building an inclusive society. Can the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion tell this House how our government is fighting Islamophobia following last year's national summit?

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Hon. Ahmed Hussen (Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Lib.)

Jun/6/22 3:06:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his really important advocacy for this really important work. As we commemorate the one-year anniversary of the London attack and the five-year anniversary of the Quebec mosque shooting, we know that Islamophobia is a troubling and real fact for far too many Canadian Muslims in Canada. That is why our government is creating the new position of special representative on combatting Islamophobia. Just this morning, I announced on behalf of our government that the call for applications for this really important role is now open. Through this step, we are combatting hate and building a more inclusive society.

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