Tea, pastries and pleas for peace mark anniversary of mosque massacre
Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
cassandra@qctonline.com
Eight years have passed since the mass shooting at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec. Some 300 friends, relatives, community members and supporters of survivors and victims gathered over tea and pastries on Jan. 25 at the Manège Militaire to commemorate the event. They celebrated the lives of the six men who were killed and the 19 who were injured on Jan. 29, 2017, and shared messages of peace in uncertain times.
The ceremony opened with a performance by Canadian- Palestinian composer and pianist John Farah, that included a classical piece by Johann Sebastian Bach and “A Lullaby for the Children of Gaza.” No matter one’s position on the situation in Gaza and Palestine, the performance was impeccable and inspirational, reminding attendees of the innocence of children in war zones.
“We feel that every time we talk to people who were there or not, we are revealing our permanent scar. It also reminds us every year that we have to pay tribute to Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti, our six fellow Muslim citizens whose lives were taken on the evening of Jan. 29, 2017,” said Mélina Chasles, member of the 29 janvier, je me souviens citizens’ committee and co-host of the event. “We are also sharing messages of peace, solidarity and hope for a future without Islamophobia, racism and hatred in all forms.”
Mayor Bruno Marchand spoke about the importance of hope amid tragedy and uncertainty, particularly in light of the re-election of Donald Trump. After a brief apology to Danielle Monosson, the U.S consul general in Quebec City, who was in the room, he said he believed “a lot of people had seen their flame of hope flicker” since Trump was elected. “We have to talk about hope – because if we don’t, then these six individuals will have died in vain – and to honour the survivors and their families,” said Marchand. “People are show- ing us that there is something worth building here. Hope is strong within this community and city.”
This is a sentiment felt by Muslims across Canada, according to Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia. “Muslim Canadians live in constant worry of being attacked on their way to prayer, school, work or the park,” she said, referencing the white supremacist terrorist attack on June 6, 2021, in London, Ont. where four members of the same Muslim family were fatally injured. “The federal government has taken great measures to support the Mus- lim Canadian communities and other minority communities in Canada by putting in place strategies and plans against Islamophobia, hatred and racism. We all have a role to play to protect every Canadian’s right to be who they are and to live in dignity and safety.”