Muslim leaders are concerned the calls for unity and promises of change in the wake of the attack on the Quebec City mosque will soon be forgotten.
On Wednesday, they gathered to ask for concrete measures to fight Islamophobia.
The outpouring of support for the Muslim community last week did not go unnoticed, said Imam Foudil Selmoune.
“We felt this unity not only from the Muslim community but from the other faiths, whether it’s Jewish or Christian,” said Selmoune.
Likewise, Imam Hassan Guillet's sermon at the Quebec City funeral struck a chord worldwide.
“I'm glad I made some people cry, but the next step is to make them think,” he said.
Muslim leaders and activists decided to provide some talking points.
“We want to propose something concrete that would not just protect the Muslim community but would protect all vulnerable communities against the spread of hate and misconceptions and stereotypes,” said community activist Ehab Lotayef.
That may take the form of new legislation, but there is also a call for a public awareness campaign, something Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil said was already in the works.
“Yes, they feel it's more urgent and I think it's really important to listen to how they feel about it, but we saw that the Jewish community was recently also threatened so it is an issue,” she said. “The social media is aggravating these forms of hate crimes, people feel vulnerable.”
There were three distinct requests made at a similar news conference in Ottawa. They asked for:
- The creation of an institute to study racism and help counter hate
- Provinces to develop a class in schools that would teach children about racism and respect
- Better police training to prevent stereotyping and misperceptions about Muslims.
There was also a message for the Muslim community.
“The Muslim community itself, we encourage you to be open and not ghettoize, not close its doors because this is happening. On the contrary, be more open,” said Lotayef.
