B.C. human rights commissioner praises City of Vancouver for official declaration on Quebec mosque massacre

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      Three years ago, Canadians were horrified by news of a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque.

      Six Muslims were killed at the Islamic Culture Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood. Another 19 were injured.

      Today, the City of Vancouver will be the first B.C. municipality to officially commemorate the massacre with a proclamation this evening at the Al-Jamia Masjid on West 8th Avenue.

      It came as a result of a motion by Coun. Jean Swanson of the Coalition of Progressive Electors.

      This move has been applauded by B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender, who said in a statement that she too stands with the Muslim community and every British Columbian taking action to fight hate, racism, and Islamophobia.

      “I honour the memories of those who were cruelly taken from their families and their communities in this act of terror: Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, and Aboubaker Thabt,” Govender said. “These men were murdered because they were Muslim.

      "This attacker sought out people gathered in prayer and targeted them with violence because of their religion," she continued. "We have a responsibility to name the hatred that led to their murder and to remember the lives that were lost."

      Govender also said: "This is a tragedy that has left a hole in our communities, but together we can route out the hatred that led to this violence, and build stronger communities united in compassion and justice, not divided by hatred and fear."

      B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender says it's important to remember that the Quebec City mosque shooting victims were murdered because they were Muslims.

      Local Muslims are also speaking out.

      Amal Rana of the Interfaith Institute for Justice, Peace, and Social Movements described the City of Vancouver's motion as "historic".

      "When an act of such hatred is committed, the impact is intergenerational and long lasting," Rana said in a statement. ''My thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones, in particular the children.

      "I hope this marks the beginning of an intentional and sustained commitment by the city to combat Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in all its forms while creating a space for collective remembrance. In doing this work, we must always remember we cannot combat any form of structural discrimination without first and foremost centring the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous people fighting to protect their unceded lands."

      Imtiaz Popat, founder of the Coalition Against Bigotry–Pacific, hopes that the City of Vancouver will also commit to developing a policy and an action plan to combat Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry.

      “While Canadians and media may have forgotten the Quebec mosque massacre, the Canadian Muslim communities are still dealing with it,” he said.

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