Vancouver city council passes motion to mark Quebec Mosque Massacre

On Tuesday afternoon, Vancouver city council approved a motion to designate January 29 as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.

The motion was introduced earlier by City Councillor Jean Swanson and will mark the third anniversary of the Quebec Mosque Massacre.

“We hope that in designating this day, the City of Vancouver will make a commitment to developing a policy and action to fight Islamophobia and all other forms of bigotry,” said Imtiaz Popat from the Coalition Against Bigotry.

The city will now observe January 29th in remembrance of the Muslim lives taken in a white supremacist shooting in 2017, and in recognition of the healing and justice work that Muslim communities do. https://t.co/e4Xeasavhs https://t.co/Arjwx1L6dm

— Jean Swanson (@JeanSwanson_) January 22, 2020

It was on January 29, 2017, that a gunman entered the Islamic Cultural Centre mosque in Quebec City and opened fire on dozens of Muslim worshipers.

By the time the shooting had ended, six people had been tragically killed and 19 more were injured: Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane, and Azzedine Soufiane lost their lives that night.

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“Muslim communities across Canada were, and continue to be, affected by this and other acts of hate, racism, white supremacy, and Islamophobia — including the anti-Islam rally planned for August 19, 2017, outside Vancouver city hall,” Swanson’s motion reads. “To commemorate January 29, Muslim communities in Vancouver have held vigils, discussions, and other events, including an annual vigil during evening prayers at the Vancouver Al-jamia Mosque on 8th Ave, which is the oldest mosque in BC.”

It’s also noted in Swanson’s motion that a number of other cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Hamilton, and Windsor have all designated January 29 as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.