Muslim Awareness Week in Montreal: Jan. 25-31
Posted January 25, 2024 10:14 am.
Last Updated January 26, 2024 8:53 am.
The sixth edition of Muslim Awareness Week begins Thursday, with a week of events in Montreal dedicated to fighting Islamophobia.
Beginning with a kick-off event at city hall, Muslim Awareness Week will feature panel discussions, an art exhibit, and more.
The week also includes two vigils on Jan. 29 – one at McGill University, which will be virtual, and another at Parc metro, in-person – coinciding with the seventh anniversary of the fatal Quebec City mosque shooting of 2017.
“We try to concentrate our efforts to show the positivity of Muslims in Quebec and their openness to dialogue, to peace, to justice,” said co-founder of Muslim Awareness week, Salam El-Mousawi.
The mosque in Quebec City, where the shooting happened in 2017, has stepped-up security amid rising tensions due to the Israel-Hamas war.
“The assailant, seven years ago, unfortunately, spilled the blood of six brothers. It was an injustice. So we think, by donating blood, we are participating in saving Quebecers’ lives,” said El-Mousawi.
Mohamed Labidi, president of the Islamic Cultural Centre says it was a necessary precaution, as many in the Arab-Muslim community have been targeted.
“Because of what happened in the Middle East, we try to be safe,” he said. “We are aware about many, many incidents in many places, especially in Montreal and Toronto and the big cities of Canada.”
Since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 40 cases of hate crimes or incidents were reported to Montreal police as of Jan. 23 targeting the Arabic-Muslim community.
El-Mousawi said that in light of the current conflict in the world, he thinks that hatred is growing against all minorities.
“We think the government should step up their efforts and provide more initiatives to bring communities together, and equally, without discrimination, without pressuring them to take one position or the other,” he explained. “After all, every human being has his own rights to express their opinions, and we want the government to make sure that all individuals and institutions are protected when they express their opinions without fearing from losing their jobs or being attacked in social media and so and so.”
