Muslim community seeks healing and safety amid lingering shadows of alleged terrorist attack
CTV
On this day in 2021, four out of five members of a London, Ont. family were killed while they were out for a walk and struck by a vehicle, in an apparently deliberate attack.
On this day in 2021, four out of five members of a London, Ont. family were killed while they were out for a walk and struck by a vehicle, in an apparently deliberate attack.
One day later on June 7, a man was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder — After working with the RCMP, London police were then given consent to commence with terrorism proceedings, alleging the murders and attempted murder constituted terrorist activity.
The victims were Muslim. Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and 74-year-old grandmother Talat, along with a surviving 9-year-old boy.
Sarah Elgazzar is a volunteer with the Muslim Wellness Network in London, Ont. and since the attack, she said there is still a lot of hurt among community members.
“This was an outstanding family and they touched many lives. The hurt and pain of their loss is still pretty sharp, and the fact that their killer has not been held accountable yet is a source of frustration.”
Safiyah Lawedy, 16, is a founding member of the Youth Coalition Combating Islamaphophia (YCCI) — an organization created with a goal of dismantling Islamophobia and letting other young Muslim people in the community know that they’re not alone in living in fear.