Last week our nation was shocked when two people who were identified as holding radicalized Islamic ideologies killed two Canadians.
One-time St. Albert resident Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was murdered Oct. 20 in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., when he was run down by Martin Couture-Rouleau. Two days later, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau fatally wounded Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.
Following the incidents, the Gazette sought reaction from St. Albert’s Muslim community on the revelation both attackers were identified as holding radicalized Muslim beliefs.
Both people who spoke to us expressed outrage the murderers acted in the name of their religion. Unfortunately, they also expressed fear that the men’s actions would cause a backlash toward the many peaceful Muslims living in Canada.
The comments posted to our website when the story was published – all violating our terms of reference and therefore deleted – substantiated those fears.
Hoda Assaf Tarrabain, a St. Albert resident and Muslim, criticized the media for highlighting the fact that when a terrorist identifies as a Muslim their religion is emphasized, while people of other faiths would be labelled as insane.
To the millions of peaceful followers of Islam, such as Assaf Tarrabain, the Coutoure-Rouleaus and Zehaf-Bibeaus of the world, and all terrorists acting in the name of Allah, are criminals and thugs.
As Assaf Tarrabain reminds us, many Muslim-Canadians were “born and raised here.”
These people are our neighbours, our friends, business owners and contributors to the well being of our community. These are things they have always been and what they will continue to be. Do not allow the actions of a minority of the misguided taint your view of the peaceful majority.
