Local group organizes townhall with WRPS Chief to discuss action against hate crimes
Sunday marks the 6th anniversary of a deadly attack at a Quebec City mosque where six men were killed and five others were critically injured.
In Waterloo region, the anniversary is serving as a moment of reflection and a call for action against Islamophobia.
The Coalition of Muslim Women of KW (CMW) organized a townhall Sunday afternoon where Waterloo Regional Police Chief Mark Crowell was a key guest as the conversation focused on efforts to combat Islamophobia in the community.
“A definitely very sombre day for us, and you know, emotions are absolutely very, very sad and concerned,” said Sarah Shafiq, interim executive director at CMW.
For Waterloo region’s Muslim community, six years hasn’t erased the pain.
“Being together we will heal, and then healing will be channelled into action as well,” said Shafiq.
A gunman had entered the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City and killed six people wounding many others. A 27-year-old man pleaded guilty in the killings with the judge saying the shooter had a visceral hatred for immigrants who are Muslims.
“Islamophobia doesn’t just kill those many people it impacts entire communities,” said Mifrah Abid, program coordinator of ‘Together Against Islamophobia’.
CMW hosted a townhall at the Victoria Hills Community Centre in Kitchener with WRPS Police Chief Mark Crowell to tackle Islamophobia seen locally. Abid says they’re working to help people voice their concerns to police through a tip line.
“We can talk all we want, but we need to come down as a community and say no,” she said. “That’s part of CMW’s mandates. Our hate reporting system is designed to counter hate.”
“It could be a dispute between neighbours, it could be graffiti, it could be anything along those lines,” said Crowell. “Working with the coalition, working with all of our community partners, we want to get the true picture of what’s happening everywhere.”
The community continues to show solidarity on a tragic anniversary. Region of Waterloo Paramedics is glowing green in support, and Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic issuing a statement reading in part: “The City of Kitchener joins fellow Canadians in reflecting on this National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia…regrettably, this anti-Muslim act is one of many examples we have witnessed across our nation and in Waterloo region.”
“We can’t let this tragedy, you know, sort of be forgotten,” said Shafiq. “This is not just a Muslim concern, it’s a community concern.”
Adding: "Their generation can work collaboratively, can counter hate together, so it's very important that they be here because this is as much if not more about them than it is about this generation," said Abid.
POLICE CHIEF ON TYRE NICHOLS BEATING
Crowell also spoke about the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis at the Sunday event.
"It was not only a failure in policing, but also a failure in humanity," he said. "We can't distance ourselfs from the uniform because we know people connect the dots.
"We do believe that faith and trust and confidence in policing is shaken."
Demonstrations continue in the US following the release of a video that shows officers beating the 29-year-old during a traffic stop. Nichols died three days later in hospital.
Five former police officers were fired in connection with the case and have each been charged with second degree murder as well as other offences.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.