Montrealers gathered yesterday at a vigil in Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension to commemorate the lives of the four family members who were killed in a hate-motivated attack in London, Ontario, on June 6.
More than 2,000 people responded to a Facebook event page, and over 600 people indicated they would be going to the vigil to honour the lives of Salman Afzaal, 46; Madiha Salman, 44; Yumna Afzaal, 15; and Talat Afzaal, 74, as well as to support 9-year-old Fayez Afzaal, who survived the attack.
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Samer Majzoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum, which organized the vigil, told MTL Blog that "emotions were very high."
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"On top of all the sorrow and sadness is [...] an anxiety that is hitting the people," Majzoub said, noting that the Muslim community in Canada is worried about the potential for another targeted attack.
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"Now, we are all together showing support and emotions, but at the same time, [...] we have to move from emotions [...] to actions," he said.
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"This has to be named what it is. This is terrorism [...] this is a clear terrorism act that is being done under [...] the umbrella of Islamophobia."
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Majzoub said Montrealers and political figures alike gathered at the vigil, where attendees were seen praying together and where Muslim-Canadian organizations spoke of what actions should come next to prevent further attacks.
