'The sorrow doesn't go away:' Commemoration for victims of Quebec City mosque shooting
Montrealers gathered Friday to commemorate victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting nearly six years ago.
Afternoon prayers at the Verdun Islamic Centre also included a moment of reflection for those killed in the 2017 attack.
"Believe me, the sorrow doesn't go away. Yes, we life our live and this is nature. But the sorry is in our hearts everyday," said Samer Mazjoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum.
On Jan. 29, 2017, six men were killed and five critically injured shortly after evening prayer at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre.
The victims were professor Khaled Belkacemi, 60; pharmacy worker Aboubaker Thabti, 44; grocery store owner Azzeddine Soufiane, 57, the owner of a local grocery store; accounting technician Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42; computer analyst Abdelkrim Hassane, 41; and IT worker Ibrahima Barry, 39.
The gunman, who was 27 at the time, pleaded guilty to the murders in 2018.
The shooter told police he felt compelled to act for fear that immigrants would kill his family, and told psychiatric evaluators he "wanted glory."
A judge said the shooter had a "visceral hatred for immigrants who are Muslims."
Afternoon prayers at the Verdun Islamic Centre on Jan. 27, 2023 included a moment of silence for those killed in the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting. (CTV News/Kelly Greig)
For Ahmed Chihane, president of the Verdun Islamic Centre, the tragedy is a painful reminder of the reality many Quebec Muslims face.
"[It's] the problem of Islamaphobia here in Quebec, which is rising every day," he said.
According to Montreal police, the number of hate incidents based on religion rose from 32 to 40 between 2020 and 2021.
And in Quebec City, the number of hate crimes rose for the fourth year in a row.
"This might happen to any one of us," Chihane concluded.
For this reason, Friday's event was more than a commemoration -- it was a call to action.
"Bringing everyone here in front of the mosque to talk about the actions we can do to counter Islamophobia is really important," said Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
Those actions include addressing racial profiling by authorities like police, and creating better tools to help people report intimidation or hate crimes.
According to Brown, many are also hoping for changes to Quebec's secularism law, Bill 21.
A speaker wears an anti-Bill 21 pin at a Montreal commemoration on Jan. 27, 2023 for victims of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting. (CTV News/Kelly Greig)
"A major source of public tension right now is Bill 21," said Brown. "In a situation where it allows you to take people's rights without justifications means we don't have rights, we have permissions."
Bill 21 prohibits government employees from wearing religious symbols, including head and face coverings.
Many religious groups and civil rights advocates have argued the bill disproportionately affects racialized and immigrant groups, particularly Muslim women.
But the Quebec government has maintained that the law is "reasonable."
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has also denied claims that Islamaphobia is an issue in Quebec.
However, many members of the Muslim community feel differently.
"We should not beg for tolerance and acceptance," said Mazjoub of the Canadian Muslim Forum. "We are citizens. To make a whole community feel like they need to beg for tolerance and acceptance is extremely bad."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE AT 2:30 MT Evacuation order issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods as wildfire nears
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
BREAKING Toronto's top doctor Eileen de Villa announces resignation
Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is stepping down.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
BREAKING Sask. man faces 60 charges in child exploitation investigation, with crimes dating back to 2005
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.