Earlier this week, a lone gunman in Quebec opened fire inside a mosque where people were inside praying. Six people were killed and 19 were wounded in the attack. The attack was shocking, brutal and an act perpetrated from hate.
Put simply, this was an act of terrorism. It has created fear among Muslims throughout the country, including in our province.
It’s easy to draw parallels between U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive ordered travel ban – known by many as the “Muslim ban” – and what happened this weekend in Quebec. But this type of attitude isn’t new and it doesn’t just come from the United States. It’s present in Canada and in Alberta. It comes from ignorance and a failure to see the humanity in others.
Although Canada has a reputation as being a welcoming country, there are exceptions. Rana El-Sharkawi, a St. Albert political science student and local activist, noted that Sunday’s attack in Quebec is not the only recent example of hate against Muslims.
“Given what’s been happening just south of the border, I think a lot of people are quick to say that it’s a ripple effect of what’s happening down south. I don’t think that’s the case,” she said. “Fear and hate is still very real and immediate here, and we saw that on the weekend. Even in Alberta if you think back to the Cold Lake mosque being vandalized a couple years ago, it is alive and well here as well.”
The show of support by the hundreds who attended the vigil this week at the Alberta Legislature is heartening. Similar vigils were held throughout the country this week in an important show of unity. As a country we must condemn hate and promote unity. As one protester yelled at the event: “We are all Canadians.”
This isn’t just an attack on one group of people in another province, it’s an attack on our country and what we stand for. It’s a direct attack on many of the fundamental freedoms in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including freedom of religion, freedom of opinion and freedom of association. It’s also an attack on the life, liberty and security of person, also enshrined in the charter. These are freedoms that are fundamental to our society.
As Canadians we need to stand up for our country’s values and not allow religious and racial hatred to become commonplace. Speak out against fear and hate and those who try to divide our country into “us vs. them.” Canada is about freedom and opportunity for everyone, no matter their colour, religion, politics or background. Let us not forget that.
