Thousands of people attend a vigil held at London Muslim Mosque to honour the four out of five family members that were killed in what police believe was a deliberate hate crime. June 8, 2021. (Photo by Craig Needles, Blackburn News)Thousands of people attend a vigil held at London Muslim Mosque to honour the four out of five family members that were killed in what police believe was a deliberate hate crime. June 8, 2021. (Photo by Craig Needles, Blackburn News)
London

NDP tables new anti-Islamophobia bill

In the wake of the alleged hate-motivated killing of four members of a Muslism family in London, the Ontario New Democrats have introduced new legislation targeting Islamophobia and other hate crimes.

NDP MPP Faisal Hassan tabled the Our London Family Act at Queen's Park on Wednesday. Faisal co-sponsored the bill with London NDP MPPs Teresa Armstrong, Terence Kernaghan, and Peggy Sattler.

If passed, the Our London Family Act would ensure a provincial review of hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents in the province, create a safe zone around religious institutions and places of worship, and prevent white supremacist groups from registering as societies. It would also establish an Ontario anti-racism advisory and advocacy council to advise on government policies and empower the Speaker of the House to ban protests at Queen’s Park that incite racist, homophobic, transphobic or xenophobic hate.

The bill was created to address recommendations made by the National Council of Canadian Muslims at the National Summit on Islamophobia held last year. The summit aimed to establish concrete actions governments could take to combat Islamophobia after the June 6, 2021 attack on the Afzaal family.

Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal and 9-year-old son Fayez Salman, and Salman Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal were out for an evening walk on that date when a pickup truck mounted the curb at Hyde Park and South Carriage roads and hit them before speeding off. Fayez Salman was the lone survivor of the attack. Police alleged the 21-year-old man charged in the attack was motivated by hate. Months prior to that, Mohamed-Aslim Zafis, a volunteer caretaker, was stabbed to death while volunteering at the International Muslims Organization mosque in Toronto.

"No one should have to fear for their safety while walking wearing a hijab or worshipping at a masjid," said Hassan. "Hate crimes and Islamophobia are on the rise in Canada, and we must do everything to ensure Ontario is a place where generations of Muslim families can live without being targeted by violence and hate, no matter the religion they practice, their clothes, or the colour of their skin."

The National Council of Canadian Muslims is urging the provincial politicians to pass the new legislation as soon as possible.

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