Ahlulbayt News Agency: The Muslim community in London, Ontario, has reiterated its call for tangible measures against Islamophobia after a suspected arson attack targeted a Muslim family's residence.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) urged government officials to fulfill their promises by enhancing anti-hate laws and promoting anti-racism education in schools.
Nusaiba Al-Azem, NCCM's legal director, stated, "Our leaders must keep their words. They promised us change after June 2021 [truck attack on the Afzaal family]. They came to our communities, they gave us many words and we are beyond that now. We need concrete actions," CBC News reported.
The incident occurred on Saturday night when an individual reportedly set the front porch of the family's house ablaze. The incident has prompted a police investigation into the potential hate-motivated nature of the crime.
The London Police have indicated that the fire seems to have been intentionally ignited, and the perpetrator fled the scene. Earlier, the same suspect is believed to have stolen lawn signs from the property advocating for Palestinian human rights.
Detective Inspector Alex Krygsman commented, "At this point we are treating it as a possible hate-motivated incident."
The family had previously reported damage to their pro-Palestinian signs and had received a threatening letter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other political figures have publicly supported the family and condemned Islamophobia. However, community representatives like Nawaz Tahir of HIKMA Public Affairs Council argue that supportive statements must be backed by action to alleviate the community's concerns.
"It's terrifying but perhaps not unexpected in the context of what we're seeing at a high level in society," he said. "Hate is developed by many factors, including the statements of certain elected officials and an allowance of society to tolerate microaggressions that get escalated."
The Muslim community in London has experienced a significant spike in reported hate crimes, increasing by 263% since 2022.
Abd Alfatah Twakkal, chair of the London Council of Imams, expressed the community's heightened sense of insecurity, stating, "Before, the message was that we cannot even walk on the streets without feeling a sense of fear, and now the message is saying we're not even safe in our homes."
The suspect, who remains at large, is described as a male aged between 30 to 50, with a medium to heavy build, last seen wearing grey shoes, dark pants, a light grey zip-up sweater with black accents, a dark toque, and a medical mask.
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At a press briefing on Tuesday, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) urged government officials to fulfill their promises by enhancing anti-hate laws and promoting anti-racism education in schools.
Nusaiba Al-Azem, NCCM's legal director, stated, "Our leaders must keep their words. They promised us change after June 2021 [truck attack on the Afzaal family]. They came to our communities, they gave us many words and we are beyond that now. We need concrete actions," CBC News reported.
The incident occurred on Saturday night when an individual reportedly set the front porch of the family's house ablaze. The incident has prompted a police investigation into the potential hate-motivated nature of the crime.
The London Police have indicated that the fire seems to have been intentionally ignited, and the perpetrator fled the scene. Earlier, the same suspect is believed to have stolen lawn signs from the property advocating for Palestinian human rights.
Detective Inspector Alex Krygsman commented, "At this point we are treating it as a possible hate-motivated incident."
The family had previously reported damage to their pro-Palestinian signs and had received a threatening letter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other political figures have publicly supported the family and condemned Islamophobia. However, community representatives like Nawaz Tahir of HIKMA Public Affairs Council argue that supportive statements must be backed by action to alleviate the community's concerns.
"It's terrifying but perhaps not unexpected in the context of what we're seeing at a high level in society," he said. "Hate is developed by many factors, including the statements of certain elected officials and an allowance of society to tolerate microaggressions that get escalated."
The Muslim community in London has experienced a significant spike in reported hate crimes, increasing by 263% since 2022.
Abd Alfatah Twakkal, chair of the London Council of Imams, expressed the community's heightened sense of insecurity, stating, "Before, the message was that we cannot even walk on the streets without feeling a sense of fear, and now the message is saying we're not even safe in our homes."
The suspect, who remains at large, is described as a male aged between 30 to 50, with a medium to heavy build, last seen wearing grey shoes, dark pants, a light grey zip-up sweater with black accents, a dark toque, and a medical mask.
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