A solemn reminder of a need for action

June 6 marked a solemn anniversary in Canada—there seem to be no shortage of those nowadays—with one year having passed since the Afzaal family was run down and killed in London, Ont., in a hate-filled attack. As often happens in the wake of such tragedies, there was an outpouring of emotion from those outside the community, professing shock and a brand-new understanding for the injustices long decried by those immediately affected. We saw it following the murder of George Floyd, the unveiling of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops residential school, Joyce Echaquan’s untimely death—just to name a recent few. “We’ve all heard politicians come to the mic and condemn what happened a year ago in London and what happened in the Québec mosque,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Monday. “But yet we still see some politicians who flirt, who play footsie with organizations that are promoting hate, that are speaking things that I know cause a lot of Canadians discomfort and makes them feel unwelcome in their own country.” Members of the government took part in a memorial and other events last weekend and on the day itself, proclaiming an ongoing commitment to trying to curb Islamophobia in Canada. Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen, flanked by Alghabra and Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, took to the West Block on Monday to announce that the previously announced position (it was first unveiled at the end of January) of a Special Representative to Combat Islamophobia was now a thing people could apply to fill. Prospective applicants now have one month to put their names forward. The most recent federal budget allocated $5.6-million over five years, with $1.2-million ongoing to support the new post. Asked why it took so long to get off the ground, Hussen said “we didn’t want to sacrifice speed for getting it right.” “It’s one thing to create a position, but you’ve got to get it right and you have to create a position that will get the confidence of the community,” he added. Taking time to “get things right” is the usual crutch this government relies on when it comes to its molasses-like pace on a suite of issues, such as anti-Black racism, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, defence procurement, or sexual misconduct in the Armed Forces. If only there was a way to set one’s watch to “in due course” or “in the coming days and weeks.” “We need action to combat hate. To make sure that the memory of #OurLondonFamily leads to real change,” reads a June 5 message from the National Council of Canadian Muslims Twitter account. “We cannot wait any longer.” The Hill Times

A solemn reminder of a need for action

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