Nine years after a gunman opened fire on Canada's largest mosque in Quebec City, killing six people, advocates are sounding the alarm on anti-Muslim hate. The deadly attack sparked widespread condemnation and calls for action to tackle Islamophobia, but it appears that progress has been slow.
For many Muslim Canadians, including those who lived through the 2017 massacre, the anniversary of the attack is a painful reminder that Islamophobia remains a pervasive issue in their communities. "It's something that unfortunately kills people," said Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims. "The anniversary forces us to remember that there's real consequences to hatred."
In the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque attack, Canada's government pledged to tackle Islamophobia and promote understanding. However, critics argue that the lessons learned from that event have not been fully remembered or applied.
One area of concern is the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate crimes in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, 229 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported in 2024 - a slight increase from the previous year. The figures underscore "that hate continues to threaten Canadians," said Amira Elghawaby, Canada's special representative on combating Islamophobia.
The Quebec government has also been criticized for its handling of the situation. In 2019, the right-wing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government passed a law banning public servants from wearing religious symbols, including headscarves worn by Muslim women. Human rights groups argue that the law discriminates against religious minorities and will have a disproportionately harmful effect on Muslim women.
The law has been part of a broader push by the CAQ to promote "state secularism" in Quebec, which has raised concerns among critics who say it targets Muslim and Jewish communities. The government has denied that the law is targeting these groups, but advocates argue that it sends a message that there's something inherently wrong with being a visible, practicing Muslim.
As Canada marks the ninth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack, advocates are urging Canadians to stand against Islamophobia and promote understanding. "History can sadly repeat itself if we don't learn from the lessons of the past," said Elghawaby. The families of the six men killed in the attack want Canadians to remember their loved ones and continue to work towards a more inclusive society.
The Canadian government has committed to tackling Islamophobia through an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, which includes millions of dollars for community groups and initiatives. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the root causes of hate crimes and promote greater understanding between different communities. As one advocate put it, "the anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack remains critical - it's a reminder that our work is far from over."
For many Muslim Canadians, including those who lived through the 2017 massacre, the anniversary of the attack is a painful reminder that Islamophobia remains a pervasive issue in their communities. "It's something that unfortunately kills people," said Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims. "The anniversary forces us to remember that there's real consequences to hatred."
In the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque attack, Canada's government pledged to tackle Islamophobia and promote understanding. However, critics argue that the lessons learned from that event have not been fully remembered or applied.
One area of concern is the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate crimes in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, 229 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported in 2024 - a slight increase from the previous year. The figures underscore "that hate continues to threaten Canadians," said Amira Elghawaby, Canada's special representative on combating Islamophobia.
The Quebec government has also been criticized for its handling of the situation. In 2019, the right-wing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government passed a law banning public servants from wearing religious symbols, including headscarves worn by Muslim women. Human rights groups argue that the law discriminates against religious minorities and will have a disproportionately harmful effect on Muslim women.
The law has been part of a broader push by the CAQ to promote "state secularism" in Quebec, which has raised concerns among critics who say it targets Muslim and Jewish communities. The government has denied that the law is targeting these groups, but advocates argue that it sends a message that there's something inherently wrong with being a visible, practicing Muslim.
As Canada marks the ninth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack, advocates are urging Canadians to stand against Islamophobia and promote understanding. "History can sadly repeat itself if we don't learn from the lessons of the past," said Elghawaby. The families of the six men killed in the attack want Canadians to remember their loved ones and continue to work towards a more inclusive society.
The Canadian government has committed to tackling Islamophobia through an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, which includes millions of dollars for community groups and initiatives. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the root causes of hate crimes and promote greater understanding between different communities. As one advocate put it, "the anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack remains critical - it's a reminder that our work is far from over."
... 9 years after that horrific attack in Quebec City and muslim Canadians are still dealing with anti muslim hate. I'm not surprised though, we've seen how quickly hateful rhetoric can spread like wildfire online. the canadian gov is all talk when it comes to combating hate, but at the end of the day they're not doing enough 
. those 229 reported anti muslim hate crimes in 2024 are a total underreporting of what's really going on out there, trust me. and don't even get me started on that Quebec law... it's just another example of how our society is getting more and more intolerant. we need to remember the lessons of the past but also be willing to make real changes 
just read about this muslim canadian woman who lost her job cuz she refused to cover up her hijab at work, its so sad how the law is still discriminatin against muslim women in quebec 
they gotta do more than just make promises, u know? 
. im drawin a diagram of a mosque w/ a big red X through it, cuz thats what hate is doing to these ppl's lives
. the law banning public servants from wearin religous symbols is super problematic, its like theyre tryna erase muslim ppl's identities 
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. I mean, the numbers don't lie - 229 anti-Muslim hate crimes in Canada last year? That's not progress, that's a regression 
. All this talk about an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, but when's it going to be put into action? We need more than just words, we need real change 
. The families of those six men who were killed deserve better 
It's like some people just can't get the memo that it's not okay to be a bad person. And honestly, I'm still shocked by how much of a free pass Canada has given the CAQ government for passing that discriminatory law. Like, what's next? 
and I'm like whoa my stress levels are gone for a second lol. Anyway back to the article, I feel so bad for those Muslim Canadians living with this fear and anxiety every day 
. It's wild that it's been 9 years and we still haven't gotten our act together to tackle Islamophobia. The law in Quebec is just ridiculous 
. I wish more ppl would just be understanding and empathetic towards others' differences 
. Maybe we should all just take a cue from that cat video and lighten up for once 
i mean, 229 reported anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2024? that's still way too many & it's getting worse not better 
meanwhile muslim ppl in canada are still living with anxiety & fear every day 
can't we just learn to accept & appreciate our differences instead of trying to erase them? 
Like the law banning headscarves for Muslim women, which is basically just a way to bully & shame them 
's largest mosque was attacked 
6 ppl lost their lives 
& many more hurt 
. It's painful to see hate crimes rise in Canada 
& the gov't not do enough 
. The law banning headscarves is super discriminatory 
& will harm Muslim women even more 
. The gov't has an action plan but it's not enough 
. We need to learn from the past & keep moving forward 
. The law banning public servants from wearing religious symbols is a major red flag, it feels like the government is trying to send a message that Muslim women are somehow less Canadian 
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. We need more inclusive policies and initiatives that address the root causes of hate crimes, not just band-aid solutions 
is just heartbreaking. It's like, what did we even learn from the Quebec City mosque attack? We knew back then that it was a horrific act of terrorism, but now we're seeing more people using Islamophobia as a way to divide us. I had a friend who was at that mosque on that day