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Quebec City mosque attack
Five years after a deadly attack at a Quebec City mosque that claimed the lives of six people and injured 19, survivors and Muslim community members will gather on Saturday to close off a week of events surrounding the tragedy.
Mosque leaders say the anniversary represents a significant moment in remembering the fallen and those whose lives were changed forever on the night of Jan. 29, 2017, when a gunman entered the city’s Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood and opened fire.
Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down shortly after evening prayers had ended at the mosque.
Since the attack, the Islamic centre has undergone extensive upgrades to ensure Muslim worshippers feel safe inside.
Six vibrant portraits of the men killed in the attack are also adorning the walls of the mosque this weekend to honour their humanity. But outside the mosque’s walls, members of the province’s Muslim community paint a different picture.
The six who were murdered at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec were: Ibrahima Barry, aged 39, Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Khaled Belkacemi, 60, Aboubaker Thabti, 44, Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, and Azzedine Soufiane, 57.
Green Party interim Leader Amita Kuttner said: “On this grim anniversary, we extend our sympathies to the families of these men, to those who were injured and to Muslims across Canada as they continue to cope with the pain of this terrible event.
“And we reaffirm our determination to eradicate Islamophobia, and hatred and prejudice in all its forms, whenever and wherever it appears.”
We also renew our commitment to taking action against Islamophobia and any form of hate. Prejudice has its roots in fear—fear of someone different, who holds different beliefs, speaks a different language, has a different dress or skin colour.
But in our differences, in our diversity, we find our strength as a country. Ajuinnata is a word in Inuktitut that means never giving up and committing ourselves to action. In this spirit, we can act together to build a better, more inclusive Canada for the next generation.
And so, let us share stories to promote understanding and empathy. And let us always strive for a world where Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination are no longer part of our lived reality.
