Emotional prayer room ceremony marks 6th anniversary of Quebec mosque shooting
CTV
An emotional ceremony took place today marking the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, held for the first time in the same room where many of the victims were killed. Six men died that night: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down not long after evening prayers at the suburban Quebec City mosque.
An emotional commemoration marking the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting was held Sunday for the first time in the same room where many of the victims were killed.
Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down not long after evening prayers at the suburban mosque on Jan. 29, 2017. Nineteen others were injured in the hate-fuelled attack and 17 children were left without their fathers.
Mosque co-founder Boufeldja Benabdallah was among those who spoke Sunday evening and said his thoughts were with the families of the victims, the children left without their fathers, the widows of the six fallen men and those who survived.
"You told us, 'You must not forget our husbands,'" Benabdallah said addressing the widows. "We have not forgotten, each one has their name."
On the second National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia, community members and dignitaries sat on the ground shoulder to shoulder in the prayer room where the attack occurred six years earlier, also on a Sunday evening.
Said Akjour, who survived the attack, said he could still pinpoint where his brothers fell that night.
"From this huge loss there are positives, even just by being here tonight to say no to violence, it's thanks to my fallen brothers," Akjour said, his voice trembling.
