Ceremony for Quebec mosque attack to be held in prayer room where shooting occurred
A commemoration planned for Sunday to mark the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting will be held for the first time inside the prayer room where six men were killed.
Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down shortly after evening prayers had ended at the Islamic Cultural Centre on Jan. 29, 2017.
Maryam Bessiri, a spokesperson for the citizens' committee organizing the event, said that holding the commemoration in the prayer room was an emotional and difficult decision, but an important one.
"For us, this return to the prayer room is very significant," Bessiri said. "Together, we can honour the memory of the victims and reflect on the inclusive society we want to build."
Five other men who were seriously injured and 35 other people who were present live with memories of the bloodshed.
Ahmed Cheddadi, a survivor of the mosque shooting, said showing openness must not fall solely on the Muslim community, but on Quebec society as a whole.
"I'm here because I really feel a responsibility to my brothers who fell right next to me," said Cheddadi, who has been heavily involved with the survivors' association since the attack. "It is an event that we must never forget, and this responsibility must also be continuously shared by society."
He said many things have improved since the attack, notably the creation by the federal government of the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. Ottawa also brought in gun laws in response to the 2017 rampage.
Mohamed Labidi, president of the mosque, said there was the "duty of memory towards the victims who fell in this mosque by the bullets of hatred" and the annual event is necessary to promote good relations.
He called on the Quebec government to do more.
Labidi said that while steps are being taken to foster inclusiveness and eliminate Islamophobia, legislation like Quebec's Bill 21 has the opposite effect. The province's secularism law bans the wearing of religious symbols such as hijabs, kippas and turbans by teachers, judges, police and other government employees deemed to be in positions of authority.
"It does a lot of harm to our community," Labidi said. "Our brothers and sisters all feel targeted by this law, which violates our rights and freedoms."
Labidi said he knows of about 50 people who have left Quebec City over the law, which was passed in June 2019. Cheddadi recounted a recent conversation with his teenage daughter, who asked if deciding to wear a hijab would cut short her dream of being a teacher.
"I told her, sadly my girl, you will lose it here in Quebec, but you have a solution. You can go to Ontario or another province," Cheddadi said.
This week, the mosque in the Quebec City borough of Ste-Foy is holding open houses in an effort to demystify the community to the local population.
In addition to politicians and other dignitaries, the anniversary event will hear from youth from the Quebec City mosque and young people from London, Ont., where in 2021 a Muslim family was run down in an alleged terrorism-related murder.
Bessiri said it is a way to ensure the continuity of the commemoration by involving younger generations and "ensuring that there will be a succession and to look to the future," she said.
A Quebec City man who was 27 at the time of the attack pleaded guilty to the murders in 2018, with a judge later saying he was driven by a "visceral hate" of Muslims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.