B.C. Muslim leaders warn against hate simmering beneath surface after Ont. attack
In the wake of the alleged terrorist attack that killed four members of the same London, Ont., family, Muslim leaders in British Columbia warn that white supremacist ideologies must be confronted to prevent similar violence.
Police accuse a 20-year-old man of intentionally driving his truck into five members of the Afzaal family, killing Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman, their daughter Yumna, and Salman Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother.
A nine-year-old boy survived but remains in hospital.
Nathaniel Veltman faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder – and police allege he was motivated by hate, prompting the prime minister to call it an act of terror.
"That little boy in hospital right now, he no longer has parents, he no longer has a sister...his grandmother,” said Amanee Elchehimi of the Simon Fraser University Muslim Students Association.
She went on to say the attack has brought long simmering fears to the surface for many in the Muslim community – now wary they could be next.
"Knowing that it's linked to their faith, it shifts how you walk in the world. Once again, it reminds you that as Muslim women, as Muslim people, we walk through the world knowing that we may be targeted,” Elchehimi said.
She and other Muslim leaders in the province say those who want to help can begin by calling out hate when they see it.
"If you feel attacked, or targeted, and no one stands up for you – no one's there to say that's wrong, we don't approve that, we don't accept that – then people might start think that this belief is mainstream when it is not,” said Yusuf Siraj with the Islam Unravelled Anti-Racism Initiative.
He accuses a small minority of harbouring hateful views towards religious and ethnic minorities and says their rhetoric must be confronted.
“We’re very aware that there are these undercurrents of hate, discrimination and violence not only towards Muslims, but BIPOC communities, and other religious faiths,” Siraj said.
A vigil has been organized for Thursday night at the Vancouver Art Gallery, to remember the victims, and start a conversation about challenging extremist ideologies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.