Quebec : Muslim organizations call for the creation of a national day against Islamophobia

The National Council of Canadian Muslims, one of the largest Muslim organizations in Canada, asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare January 29th, the day of the attack that targeted the Centre culturel islamique de Québec (CCIQ), «a national day against Islamophobia», says La Presse.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, released Friday, Ihsaan Gardee, director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the proclamation «would allow Canadians to remember the victims of the attacks, and the public to better understand the risks associated with hatred, sectarianism and Islamophobia».

On January 29th, 2017, six Muslim people were killed and 19 wounded during the attack on the Great Mosque of Quebec, hosted by the CCIQ. The trial of the assailant, Alexandre Bissonnette, is scheduled for March 2018, recalls La Presse.

A year after these events, «Canadian Muslim communities are still upset by these horrific attacks», writes Ihsaan Gardee. According to him, more than 70 Canadian Muslim organizations and more than 20 «community partners», including Amnesty International Canada Francophone and the Canadian Labor Congress, support the idea.