(Quebec) François Legault denounced Saturday in a speech which was intended to unify the “act of terror” which struck Quebec five years ago. The Prime Minister took part in the official commemorations of the attack on the Grand Mosque, which were marked by the charge of a speaker against Law 21.
Posted at 7:31 p.m.
Updated at 8:41 p.m.
Freezing cold enveloped Quebec on Saturday evening, when many elected officials, survivors and relatives of victims gathered to commemorate the attack which left six dead and several seriously injured on January 29, 2017.
“Five years ago, a terrible tragedy occurred, an act of terror,” recalled the Premier of Quebec.
“In the mosque, there were Quebecers like you and me who asked for nothing better than to live in peace. But in the eyes of this young man, they had the defect of being of the Muslim faith, ”said Mr. Legault, alluding to the assassin.
The Prime Minister issued an opening message to the relatives of the victims and to the survivors.
“Quebec, yes, it is a tightly knit nation, proud of its identity. But it is a respectful, welcoming, open nation. Our nation was built through hardship, moving forward together. »
“No, Quebec has not forgotten. No, Quebec will never forget,” he added.
“You are the highest magistrate in the province of Quebec. You have a great responsibility. Your words weigh heavily, “said just before the spokesperson for the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec, Boufeldja Benabdallah.
“This company is generous. But there is always this hateful minority,” Mr. Benabdallah lamented.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
“This company is generous. But there is always this hateful minority, said the spokesperson for the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec, Boufeldja Benabdallah.
Earlier Saturday, the Prime Minister of Canada denounced an Islamophobic act in a written statement. Justin Trudeau is in isolation and could not travel to Quebec for the event.
“On this day, we pay tribute to the victims of this act of hate-motivated terrorism, who were senselessly killed in a fit of intolerance, Islamophobia and racism,” noted Mr. Trudeau.
Charge against “Law 21”
According to Aymen Derbali, seriously injured in the attack, the drama “was the result of a long journey of hatred, contempt and Islamophobia”.
The man, now a paraplegic, lamented that Quebec, unlike Ottawa, did not declare January 29 a day for the fight against Islamophobia. The sad anniversary marked the first National Day of Commemoration of the Quebec Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia, established by the Trudeau government.
“In order to have an effective fight against these scourges, we need real political will in Quebec,” said Mr. Derbali. Hate, discrimination, racism and Islamophobia have no place. »
The evening of commemoration was also marked by a charge against the State Secularism Actcame from an administrator of a mosque in London, Ontario, where an attack killed four people in a Muslim family last June.
“We are left out when it comes to work or employment opportunities, and in some places we are not able to earn a living wearing a hijab because the state has made it that way “Nusaiba Al-Azem, vice-president of the London Muslim Mosque, who is also a lawyer at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told the microphone.
“Islamophobia doesn’t start when a man shoots at a mosque. It begins in the classrooms, in the workplaces, in the streets, at the dining table and in Parliaments [legislatures] “, she added.
The Prime Minister did not allude to the State Secularism Act in his speech. But he assured the relatives of the victims that “Quebecers stand in solidarity”.
“You are part of our family, you are part of our collective destiny, launched François Legault. It is together that we will build the Quebec of tomorrow. »
Montrealers commemorate the tragedy
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
More than a hundred Montrealers braved the bitter cold to commemorate the attack on the Great Mosque of Quebec, which occurred five years earlier.
More than a hundred Montrealers also braved the biting cold to commemorate the tragedy and prevent future ones. “It is extremely important that we are gathered here today to say that we remember,” whispered Ehab Lotayef, co-founder of Muslim Discovery Week, who organized the ceremony, into the microphone.
“But above all, to say that we will work together to make this province and this country a better place, a place that does not discriminate against its inhabitants for their beliefs, the color of their skin, their origin or any other reason”, he continued.
In front of him, residents, politicians and representatives of community organizations observed silence. Behind him, the faces of tragedy lit up in the candlelight and streetlights of the Parc metro station.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Fight Islamophobia
Met on the spot, Shadad Salman recalled that after the tributes, it is necessary to attack the roots of the problem. “It is important not to forget the causes that led to this tragedy. Tragedies bring change, but we must never forget that we must continue the work,” she says.
The deputy leader of the New Democratic Party, Alexandre Boulerice, present at the rally, also condemned Islamophobia. “Have we changed as a society, have we progressed over the past five years? I think a dialogue has opened up. I think we talk openly more about Islamophobia, ”he said, shooting an arrow in passing at Quebec, which does not recognize systemic racism.
Vigil canceled in Ottawa
In Ottawa, truck convoy fears forced the cancellation of a similar ceremony. The Canadian collective against hate, which organized the rally, was forced to hold the activity virtually.
“I’m sure there are good people protesting in Ottawa, but there are also people with racist signs, hate speech, Nazi flags, American Confederate flags. […] I find it horrible, regrettable, and it shows how much work we still have to do, ”lamented Alexandre Boulerice.