Earlier this month, four members of the Afzaal family were tragically killed, and another seriously injured, in London, Ontario, when they were struck by a driver, who police allege mounted a curb and intentionally ran the family down. In an instant, three generations of the Afzaal family are gone, and a 9-year-old boy is left hospitalized and without his parents, grandmother, and sister. A 20-year-old man is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and terrorism charges for allegedly targeting the family because of their Islamic faith.
WeirFoulds recognizes that the tragic loss of life in one community transcends others. We express our heartfelt sympathy to the Afzaal family and the Muslim community – including our colleagues, friends and clients.
The London attack is just one in a series that have targeted Muslim Canadians in recent years. For example, we recall the 2017 massacre at a mosque in Quebec City that took the lives of six worshippers and wounded 19 others, and the fatal stabbing outside of a Toronto mosque in September 2020.
WeirFoulds condemns Islamophobia in all its forms and stands with the Muslim community in support. No person should be fearful of walking down a street in their own neighbourhood because of their faith, ethnicity or race.
WeirFoulds encourages all to consider supporting the Afzaal family and the surviving member and supporting and learning from organizations working to combat Islamophobia. To do so, below are links to some useful resources:
https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/london_community_united_against_hate#!/