“Look at the hate we’re breeding,
Look at the fear we’re feeding,
Look at the lives we’re leading,
The way we’ve always done before.”
– Guns N’ Roses
At the beginning of June a Muslim family was attacked in London, Ontario and four members of the family were killed. They were just out for an evening walk as a family.
Being a brown, hijab-wearing, identifiably-Muslim woman, I am certainly not shocked. I have experienced micro-aggressions myself. However this news has left me heartbroken and devastated.
But I will keep walking. In fact, we should all keep walking. This is what Canada is–or should be–a salad bowl where people can be themselves and be with each other without any prejudice. Hate has no place in this country.
Be it the Quebec Mosque attack in 2017, the violent beating of a London, Ontario resident Mohammad Sharifi in May 2016, or this most recent killing of a Muslim family of Pakistani origin, these events do not represent what Canada–the land of moose and maple syrup–is supposed to be about.
The victims spanned three generations of a family who migrated from Pakistan 14 years ago: Salman Afzaal, 46, a physiotherapist; his wife Madiha, 44, a doctoral student in civil engineering at Western University; Yumna, just 15 years old; and Yumna’s 74 year old grandfather. They died when a 20-year-old man drove his pickup truck at them, simply because they were Muslim.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau told Parliament: “We cannot allow any form of hate to take root because the consequences can be far too serious. We have seen it in Christchurch. We’ve seen it in other places around the world, and we’ve lived it here at home.”
Unlike the 9/11 attacks, a foreign terrorist organization was not responsible for the deaths in London. And equally consequentially, the terrorist targeted one specific community within Canada: Muslims. However, his hate-motivated act has helped unite Canadians and increased the momentum behind calls to take the threats of the far-right violence more seriously than before.
For three days in London–a city of 400,000 with 20,000-40,000 Muslims–flags were lowered. And on Friday, June 11 there was a march held to show solidarity with the Muslim community.
“The best part was not just the numbers…but the diversity of the people coming from every single community in London, coming together for this cause,” said 19-year old college student Abdullah Al Jarad at the march.
What lies ahead?
Building connection. Taking action. System change.
Muslim leaders and others are calling for reviewing the system beyond just Islamophobia which is breeding hate and violence.
And that is what Greenpeace stands for too. For Greenpeace, saving the world means supporting life, including human life, in all its diversity. It means human beings of every background living together with nature and with each other in peace and harmony.
Diversity.
Inclusion.
Representation.
Resistance.
Only by embracing all of these will we achieve the ‘peace’ part of Greenpeace. And only by embracing these will we achieve a truly sustainable society. So let’s do it, together.
Ayesha Umar is a Greenpeace volunteer and Muslim.
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