The London-area’s largest school board will spend the next year crafting a plan to combat Islamophobia.
The Thames Valley District school board (TVDSB) announced its intention to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy Tuesday - the second anniversary of the alleged anti-Islamic attack that claimed the lives of four members of a London Muslim family.
"The tragic events of June 6 are a solemn reminder of the pervasive and deadly impact that racism, discrimination and hate can have in our society," Mark Fisher, TVDSB director of education, said in a statement. "The Thames Valley District School Board is firmly committed to taking the sustained action necessary to end Islamophobia in our communities."
It was on June 6, 2021, when five members of the Afzaal family, out for an evening walk, were hit by a pickup truck that mounted the curb at Hyde Park and South Carriage roads and then sped off. Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal, and Salman Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal were killed. The couple's young son was hurt, but survived. London police said at the time there was evidence the attack was a planned, premeditated act motivated by hate.
The strategy will be developed in collaboration with a number of community organizations including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Hikma Public Affairs Council, and the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI). The board also intends to work with Eaman Fahmy, formerly the Inclusive Program Designer at Pillar Nonprofit Network, to support the strategy’s development.
"Thames Valley’s anti-Islamophobia strategy represents a crucial step in this collective fight against harmful discrimination. As we engage in this important work, we are following the lead of and working in conjunction with Muslim community partners to build an effective long-term strategy that simultaneously seeks to affirm Muslim identities while combating the root causes that give rise to hate and discrimination directed towards the Muslim community,” said Fisher.
Public consultations and a community survey will be held as well over the coming months to gather input from local Muslim families, the school board said.
Thames Valley is one of the first school board's in the country to develop an anti-Islamophobia strategy. Peel District and the Toronto District school boards are also enacting similar strategies.
The TVDSB's strategy is scheduled to be released on June 6, 2024.