Watch the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)'s Press Conference on Parliament Hill on the 7th Anniversary of the Quebec Mosque Attack

In commemoration of the 7th anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, [the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)] were in Ottawa with over 200 community leaders from across the country.

Every conversation we had was with the memory of our lost brothers and sisters in mind. The lives we lost in Sainte-Foy, in London and Toronto.

This year, the pain, the urgency and the existential threat to our community are at an all-time high. Our team and delegates stood tall and made sure every politician they met with heard our hearts and concerns – loud and clear.

However, there was one meeting we were not prepared to take. We officially cancelled our meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Yesterday, informed by our consultations with the leaders of our delegations, we made it clear that as of that day, we no longer thought it was productive to speak with this Prime Minister.

This is an unprecedented step for us. We have always engaged with our government and in our democratic process, and always work to engage, precisely because this Prime Minister came to us with great promise, and did deliver on select things that Canadians had asked for, to reverse a dark time of division after 2015.

However, that great promise now feels broken, perhaps beyond repair.

We have heard all the questions from members of the media. Why not engage with the leader of our country? Why not give him an ear full about the ICJ or unfulfilled policy promises for combatting Islamophobia?

The answer is enough is enough.

Enough dead children.

Enough tiny policy change only when our lives are destroyed like at the CCIQ or the London Terror Attack.

It is clear that the Prime Minister is not listening to us.

So we took action.

Watch NCCM's press conference on Parliament Hill on the 7th anniversary of the Quebec Mosque Attack.