As we approach the end of January 2022, an important day reaches our midst. The fast approaching event near the end of January is an important development that was made last year. The liberal government officially announced in 2021 that January 29th would be the day that Canada remembered the mosque shooting that occurred in Quebec, 2017. It has been almost 5 years since the event has occurred and the sorrow is not yet lost on the people. Living in Canada, which is ranked number 6 on the safest countries to live, no one expected such a tragedy. The reality of the issue is that people will continue to face violence for things they believe in by people who fear differences as things that will destroy our world. Though we haven’t had an event such as the shooting take place again in the last 5 years: Islamophobia isn’t an issue that is completely gone. Canada is only one of many countries to deal with these issues. In fact, many hijab (head covering) wearing and niqab wearing (face covering) women all over the world still face violence for their open alliance with their beliefs.
To delve deeper into the actual event, January 29, 2017 was when Alexandre Bissonnette shot 6 men, mid-prayer in the mosque. The mosque in question, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, also harboured another 19 injured. The deaths of 6 men: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Azzedine Soufiane, Abdelkrim Hassane, Ibrahima Barry, Aboubaker Thabti and Khaled Belkacemi were the result. Families mourned the loss of their fathers, and brothers and the community mourned the reality of what had occured. The man who shot them was under heavy influence of anti-immigrant and Islamophobic voices in the media. The misconception that immigrants would be dangerous to his own family drove him to take action – action that was embedded in physical violence. This shooting was not the first act of open violence against Muslims and would not be the last.
Last year, the Liberal government took action to raise awareness, marking January 29th as a day for remembrance. The day was chosen to raise awareness around modern issues people still face today. Islamophobia affects a large amount of the Muslim population. Little acts of hate speech and physical violence have left the hearts of many Muslims shattered, have left many families without members that were valued. And left the Muslim community in anxiety of possible reactions from their communities everywhere. While Canada’s constitution advocates diversity and acceptance, the willingness to harm those who do not fall under distinguishable norms is still a reality. The government has addressed the reality and is taking action to help the cause. As stated by the Ministry of Canadian Heritage: “Islamophobia is a concrete and daily reality for Muslim communities everywhere. We have an obligation to remember the victims and a responsibility to combat discrimination and continue to build a more inclusive Canada.”
The development in the movement against violence as demonstrated by the shooting is pivotal in addressing issues. Muslims are targets for many people who fear change and the unknown values of the faith and the people. Many misconceptions portrayed in the media around us implicitly encourage fear of the people. Allowing a day for remembrance for the loss of people for their beliefs is important in addressing issues. Racism, though a common issue that many people face, is slowly being diminished as people are becoming more aware. Likewise can be said for many other issues for minorities. Islamophobia is an issue that springs out from misconceptions and wrongful impressions – thus, as the masses gain understanding and perspective, hate speech and violence can be diminished.
Amira Elghawaby, a human rights advocate, past founding board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and currently the Director of Programs and Outreach at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, says: “I think it’s difficult to say that things have gotten better, but I do believe that after the Quebec City mosque attack, and various hate crimes across the country, there’s been more acceptance of the fact that Islamophobia and everyday discrimination against Muslims is very real.”
In order to move past inherit systemic and social discriminations, education of the masses is the goal. If people who experience the effects of such discrimination can speak out and help to raise the cause and help to address the issues, we may truly find change. That’s why, January 29th will build a change for the Muslim communities and help the cause for change. In remembrance of the event, people can learn the reality of the issues minorities face for simply being different in a society dominated by the majorities. In order for such awareness around Islamophobia to take charge, people died. It is an unfortunate reality of the event that we faced. But let their deaths not be in vain. It’s time to educate and to remember and advocate for change around us. It’s time to hear about people who face the realities of the harsh world everyday and those who face it devastatingly as well.
The Green Square Campaign is actively working to raise awareness and remember the victims of the shooting. They aim to stimulate the minds of the people to remember the tragedy that occured before our eyes, a product of misconception and misinformation about a group. That ultimately lead to violence against them. In their manifesto, they state: “The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia serves as a reminder of the work we must do as a nation to eradicate Islamophobia, hate and racism in Canada.” The green square portrays the places where the men stood to pray before they were shot and killed. The symbol of the green square has been donned by many as a reminder of the horrific events. The square serves a motivation to everyone to raise awareness around the movement to eradicate the violence that is the result of ignorance and a lack of knowledge.
That’s what I’m here to do as well. Raise a cause to care. Now, I won’t educate people about what it means to be a Muslim and the basis of the Islamic religion. There are people out there, far better to speak out on giving education regarding the subject. I’m simply another person who’s willing to call out the issue we face. To draw attention so that the masses can at least think twice before going solely based on media portrayals of issues. Things are not always as they seem. The cake isn’t nearly always as good as it looks. Canada is not always the safest country for everyone. And Muslims are definitely not always terrorists.
I aim to urge people to hear out their Muslim neighbours. To understand that the reality of a country like Canada is that we are, as protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms: given the right to practice our religions without cause of judgement and violence for doing so. This applies to people practising Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism. Buddhism, Christianity and Catholicism. And it so happens, that it applies to those practicing Islam. This is Canada on paper. This is Canada as designed by the government and by our historical governmental forefathers. This may not always be the Canada on paper, but it is the Canada we hope to achieve.
I’m a Muslim girl in Canada, and I have something to say about all this. I haven’t faced explicit Islamophobia but the reality of the world is that I may as well deal with it in the future. The most I can say is that I feel for those people who have experienced harsh comments and have been attacked. I wear the hijab, and I get my fair share of looks and side glances. I’ve gotten unnecessary comments on how I dress. I am my religion, and a symbol of it. But equally so, I go to school in Canada. I earned my citizenship and my family lives and grows up in its cradle. Sure, we did not exactly inherit citizenship by birth and by heritage. But so too did not many of the people who are Canadian today. But we are all citizens nonetheless.
And to people who believe otherwise, I’d like to say: “I am a Muslim girl in Canada, and I am not a terrorist.”
For more information and input:
CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/national-rememberance-mosque-shooting-1.5892033
Cult MTL: https://cultmtl.com/2022/01/being-muslim-in-quebec-five-years-after-the-mosque-shooting/
Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/19/canada-muslim-group-sets-recommendations-to-tackle-islamophobia
The Green Square Campaign: https://www.nccm.ca/greensquare/
