How the Afzaals are being honoured on 2nd anniversary of fatal truck crash
CBC
On the second anniversary of the truck crash that killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., while they were out for a walk, the community continues to commemorate their lives and carry on the fight against Islamophobia.
A vigil expected to be attended by thousands will be held at the site of the fatal crash Tuesday evening to honour the Afzaals — known as Our London Family. The event is hosted by the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia (YCCI) and the City of London.
The vigil starts at 7:15 p.m. and will include speeches from London's Mayor Josh Morgan, friends and family members of the Afzaals, along with heads of national Muslim councils. It will end with a moment of silence, followed by a call to prayer at 9 p.m.
"Last year, the main focus was remembrance and while that's still going to be important, this year's vigil will focus on perseverance and that moving forward aspect," said Esa Islam, 16, one of YCCI's founding members and a close relative of the family.
On June 6, 2021, Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, grandmother Talat, and the couple's daughter, Yumnah, were killed when a truck hit them at the intersection of South Carriage and Hyde Park Roads in what police are calling an alleged hate-motivated attack.
The tragedy prompted the creation of YCCI, comprised of teenagers and young adults working to educate others about Islamophobia, what it looks like, and its impact on society.
"A lot of times when things like this happen, people talk about it and then slowly it starts to die down so it was really important that we made sure that this issue and incident would not be forgotten," Islam said.
Students at local high schools will do a 15 minute walk around school tracks to reflect on the incident. The walk is a symbol of the distance it would've taken the family to walk home from where they were killed, Islam said.
"To us this is symbolic because that walk really shows that we're carrying on their legacy, we're taking what they left behind and we're trying to build a better future with it," he added.
It's important to pause and take a moment to gather and commemorate the family, said Ahmer Khan, London's Muslim community liaison adviser, who will also speak at the vigil.
"We'll be hearing a lot about how we can honour the families and show up as a resilient community," Khan said.
"Islamophobia shows up in many different ways for many different people, and our focus is on education, debunking myths, and shedding light to questions around Islam."
On Monday, Salman Afzaal's brother Umar and his family released a statement issued through their lawyers, reflecting on the family's legacy and describing how each person who was killed is being remembered.
Umar is helping to care for the youngest family member, who survived the incident. CBC News has agreed to not name the boy so he can have as normal a life as possible.