On Jan. 29, 2017, a gunman entered a mosque in Quebec City and opened fire on dozens of Muslim Canadians during a prayer service. Six worshippers were killed and 19 were injured.
We will always remember Mamadou Tanou Barry, Azzedine Soufiane, Abdelkrim Hassane, Ibrahima Barry, Aboubaker Thabti, and Khaled Belkacemi.
The shooter expressed far-right, anti-Muslim, and white nationalist views and admitted to police that political anti-Muslim rhetoric had influenced his actions.
According to a recent report by Statistics Canada, hate crimes against racial, ethnic or religious groups increased in Canada by 47 per cent in 2017. Crimes targeting Muslims increased by 151 per cent. Hate crimes specifically targeting Muslims rose by 207 per cent in Ontario and by 185 per cent in Quebec while Alberta and BC also saw increases.
The #IRememberJanuary29 Campaign is a grassroots effort to get the Canadian federal government to designate January 29 as a day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia.
CUPE Ontario joins community partners in echoing this call and standing with our Muslim sisters and brothers against the rising tide of hate in our workplaces and in our communities.
#IRememberJanuary29
