A National Day of Remembrance
On January 29, 2017, six Muslim men were shot dead in a Québec City mosque. An armed white nationalist terrorist went on a shooting rampage in the Islamic Cultural Centre in Sainte-Foy, Québec, just after evening prayers. It remains the worst mass murder in a house of worship in Canada’s history.
Starting this year, January 29 will be officially called the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia in a move to honour the victims, and to promote action against Islamophobia.
Five years on from the Quebec City incident, Muslims across the country continue to feel reverberations of the tragedy. Discrimination against Muslims is still rampant and Islamophobia is a concrete and daily reality for Canada’s Muslim communities. Online hate and cyberviolence have emerged as pernicious extensions of Islamophobia and there has been an alarming rise in online hate attacks against not just Muslims but all racialized groups in Canada.
The incitement of hate is taking place on the internet today on an unprecedented level and it is influencing others that unfortunately take violent and drastic actions. Every day, Canadians are experiencing relentless online vitriol and hateful content in online spaces. Youth and racialized Canadians are almost three times more likely than others to experience this online hate, which can often lead to real-world violence. An investigation revealed that the Quebec City gunman was radicalized online and was consumed by far-right media sources. The best way to prevent such attacks is with legislation and strict government enforcement.
For Canada’s Muslim and racialized communities to feel safe, the government must tackle this hate head-on. Without swift and decisive action today, it will just be a matter of time before the next attack.
As we come together today to remember the lives we lost in the Quebec City tragedy, let’s raise our voices to fight and eradicate Islamophobia, hate and racism and hold our leaders accountable. We urge the federal government to stick with its promise to take immediate action on online hate speech and to swiftly introduce and pass critical legislation to regulate online hate. Despite promises during the recent federal election that legislation addressing online hate would be a priority, progress has been slow on this front. We want ministers to treat such a law as a matter of urgency and to ensure that the issue does not lose its priority placement on the government's to-do list.
Canadians who face Islamophobia, xenophobia and all forms of hate and discrimination should not feel alone in this fight. We deserve to know that our leaders are on our side and are committed to combating hate and discrimination. It is up to the Government to ensure that our online spaces do not incite hatred and cause the loss of more innocent lives.
CCMW joins community members, allies, and elected representatives to commemorate the lives lost in the Quebec City incident and express solidarity with the survivors. We are committed to raising awareness about the devastating impact of Islamophobia and stand with all individuals and organizations serving Muslim communities in their fight against hate and Islamophobia.
We encourage anyone impacted by Islamophobia to seek support and invite you to stand with us by joining the Green Square Campaign.
Digital Anti-Racism Education
CCMW’s Digital Anti-Racism Education 2 (D.A.R.E.2) Project starts conversations around racism and trains communities across Canada, equipping them with tools and resources to effectively counter Islamophobia and cyberhate. The D.A.R.E.2 project has provided Digital Anti-Racism Education workshops to hundreds of individuals across Canada, and launched the #Hate2Healing campaign that aims at highlighting stories of Islamophobia and racism, as experienced by Canadian Muslim women, girls and non-binary people. For more information about the D.A.R.E.2 Project, please visit: daretobeaware.ca