The Quebec mosque massacre last year was a shocking tragedy, yet motive for the murders has been encased in mystery, with no charges of terrorism laid down, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referencing it as “an act of terrorism.”
27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, a student at Laval University, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder, but with no motive ever established, only conjecture about his interests in right-wing groups after he was discovered to have been listening to “French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen.”
Anti-Muslim bigotry, like all bigotry whenever it is genuinely manifested, needs to be striven against, but the factual considerations involved in declaring a “National Day of Remembrance and Action” by a country’s Prime Minister are crucial, particularly when the proposed action seals the word “Islamophobia” as the subject of particular governmental concern.
According to hate crime statistics, blacks, Jews and gays are. The letter below is a written request to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from the NCCM “Designating January 29th as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia On behalf of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).”
What is striking about the letter is how it uses the tragic mosque attack to continue to foist its “Islamophobia” agenda upon Canada; the bold tone of its demands; its forwarding of one-sided opinions presented as facts; and its list of stated partnerships.
The group NCCM — an offshoot of CAIR –makes Muslims out to be the worst victims of hate and “racism”; they are not.
ACT for Canada leader Valerie Price wrote her own letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, garnering much support:
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) has asked you to designate January 29 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia commemorating the Quebec City Mosque shooting.
Will you also be considering a National Day of Remembrance and Action on June 30 for Zainab, Sahar, Geeti Shafia and Rona Amir Mohammed, drowned by their father Mohammed, step-mother Tooba Yahya, and brother Hamed? Will you consider a day of remembrance for Aqsa Parvez on December 10, strangled by her father and brother for refusing to wear a hijab? October 22 for Cpl. Nathan Cirillo? October 20 for Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent?
When a Muslim goes on a killing spree, it is nothing to do with Islam and police are stationed at mosques to protect Muslims from Islamophobia. When Muslims are killed, it has everything to do with Islam(ophobia), and police are stationed at mosques to protect Muslims from Islamophobia
How do you choose between Muslim killers and Muslim victims? Are all lives not precious? The Quebec City mosque killing was a tragedy. I strongly condemn all forms of violence, including violence motivated by hatred and bigotry, and I call on all Canadians to affirm their commitment to civil, open dialogue and non-violence. But it is wrong to commemorate the victims of one tragedy with a Day of Remembrance while ignoring the victims of others. The question that many Canadians will ask is “why?”.
Valerie Price
QC
This is the letter that was written by CAIR-CAN/NCCM…..
January 5, 2018
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2Dear Prime Minister:
Re: Designating January 29th as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia
On behalf of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), I am writing to you about the upcoming first anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack that will take place on January 29, 2018.
One year on, Canadian Muslim communities are still reeling from the devastating terrorist attack that claimed the lives of six Muslim men worshipping in their mosque – fathers, husbands and sons – and gravely injured many others. For the first time in Canadian history, a place of worship was targeted by a horrific act of violence solely because the victims were Muslims.
The question on so many minds is how do we prevent such a violent hate-motivated attack targeting Canadian Muslims, or any other religious community, from ever occurring again?
With the rise of far-right extremist groups that continue to threaten the safety of Canadian Muslim institutions and congregations, it is critical that our elected leaders stand firmly against Islamophobia and the agents of bigotry who aim to foment hateful division between Canadians and their fellow Muslim citizens. We must not allow voices of hate, even ones that may initially appear to be on the margins, to permeate our public discourse and damage our social fabric.
As you have eloquently stated, in these difficult times we must always remember the bonds of unity as Canadians and protect the diverse and open nature of our society.
To that end, we call on your government to designate, by order-in-council or by proclamation, January 29th as a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia, on or before the first anniversary. This call is supported by a host of other Canadian Muslim organizations and community partners, listed below.
Such a designation will enable Canadians to collectively remember the victims of the attack and to enhance public education about the perils of hate, bigotry and Islamophobia.
We look forward to your response to this important issue. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ihsaan Gardee
Executive Director
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)
Endorsing Organizations
Afghan Canadian Islamic Community
Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Committee (AMPAC)
AMAL-Québec
Assunah Muslims Association (AMA)
Aylmer Mosque
Az-Zahraa Islamic Academy
Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre
L’association la Paix
L’assocation musulmane québécoise (AMQ)
British Columbia Muslim Association (BCMA)
Calgary Islamic Centre (SW Masjid)
Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities (CAM-D)
Canadian Association for Muslim Women in Law (CAMWL)
Canadian Centre for Deen Studies
Canadian Council of Imams (CCI)
Canadian Council of Muslim Women – National (CCMW)
Canadian Council of Muslim Women – Montreal Chapter
Canadian Friends of Somalia
Canadian Muslim Alliance (CMA)
Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association / Association canadienne des avocats musulmans (CMLA/ACAM)
The Canadian Muslim Vote (TCMV)
Centre Al-Jisr
Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (CCIQ)
Le centre Badr
Le centre Kawtar de Laval
Collective of Muslim Feminists of Quebec
DawaNet
Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre
Downtown Muslim Professional Network (DMPN)
Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC)
Federation of Muslim Women
Islam Care Centre
Islamic Association of Northwest Calgary
Islamic Association of Saskatchewan (Regina)
Islamic Association of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon)
Islamic Center of South Calgary
Islamic Circle of North America-Canada (ICNA-Canada)
Islamic Circle of North America-Canada Montreal Chapter
Islamic Family and Social Services Association (Edmonton)
Islamic Foundation of Toronto
Islamic History Month Canada (IHMC)
Islamic Institute of Toronto
Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto
Islamic Society of Cumberland (Bilal Mosque)
Islamic Society of Gloucester (ISOG)
Islamic Society of Kingston
Islamic Society of North America – Canada (ISNA-Canada)
Islamic Society of Sandy Hill
Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA)
Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-Carleton (Jami Omar)
Kanata Muslim Association
La Voie Des Femmes
London Muslim Mosque (LMM)
Muslim Association of Calgary
Muslim Association of Canada (MAC National)
Muslim Association of Canada (MAC – Ottawa Chapter)
Muslim Association of Hamilton
Muslim Community Foundation of Calgary (MCFC)
Muslim Coordinating Council of the National Capital Region (MCCNCR)
Muslim Council of Calgary (MCC)
Muslim Council of Peel
Muslim Society of Prince Edward Island
Muslim Link Newspaper
Muslim Youth Services
North American Spiritual Revival (NASR)
Noor Cultural Centre
Ottawa Muslim Association (OMA)
Outaouais Islamic Center – Gatineau Masjid
Own It Institute of Canada Ltd.
Shia Muslim Community of British Columbia
South Nepean Muslim Community – SNMC Masjid
Tessellate Institute
Think for Actions
United Muslim Organizations in Ottawa Gatineau (UMO-OG)
Windsor Islamic Association
Windsor Islamic Council
Community Partners:
Amnesty International Canada
Amnistie international Canada francophone
Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
Canada Without Poverty
Canadian Association of Black Lawyers
Canadian Council of Refugees
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter
Comité Solid’ère
C.O.R. organisme de Communication pour l’Ouverture et le Rapprochement intercultural
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
Global Shapers Montréal (a youth leadership initiative by the World Economic Forum)
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG)
InterPares
Mosaic Institute
Ontario Federation of Labour
Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
South Asian Bar Association – Toronto
Toronto and York Region Labour Council
UneFilleUneFamille
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
United Steelworkers, Local 2010
Urban Alliance on Race Relations
Vaughan African Canadian Association (VACA)
YMCA Toronto
YMCA Canada