Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener Waterloo (CMW) Statement on the Terrorism Conviction of the London Family Attacker

The sentencing will bring definite relief to the Muslim community, which has been hurting since the day of the violent murders that killed 3 generations of a family. Relief, however, is not joy. There is no joy in seeing a youth spend the rest of his life behind bars. There is no joy in revisiting the brutal reality of violent Islamophobia. Hate brings no winners, only pain and destruction.

We sincerely hope that the sentencing brings some closure to the family. They have dealt with unspeakable grief in the past three years. Although the sentencing will not bring back the lost lives, We pray for them and hope they can once again move toward some semblance of normalcy in life.

We also want to express our appreciation to the justice system. Justice is often a painful process, but a necessary one. We hope the sentencing will send out a clear message—that Canada will not tolerate hate in any form, that no human should endure the pain that the Afzaal family did, and that as Canadians, we will forever stand up for each other and for what is right.

Muslims in Canada have long endured the impacts of Islamophobia, whether it was on the day the Afzaal family died, the Quebec City Mosque massacre in 2017, or the countless acts of hate, discrimination, and ‘others are silently endured by community members across Canada every day. Fear cannot be the status quo. In this sombre moment, we call on the community to renew their resolve to stand up to hate in all its forms. This is the only way forward. We urge leaders from across all systems to commit to safety and equity for all, not just performatively, but with concrete, tangible action.

Lastly, the CMW is committed to documenting hate and supporting victims. If anyone has experienced or witnessed hate due to racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, Anti-Black racism, Antisemitism, Anti-Asian hate, Anti-Indigenous hate, Anti-Arab hate, Anti-Palestinian hate, Anti-South Asian hate, etc., we urge them to please report with CMW’s hate reporting tool, www.reportinghate.ca CMW also provides support to victims of hate and discrimination.