Crowds gather to mourn Muslim family killed in London attack, vow to stand against hatred

Growing up in Regina, Salmaan Moolla has retraced the steps of so many people who have called the city home.

He graced the hallways of W.S. Hawrylak Elementary School before graduating to Campbell Collegiate, then on to the University of Regina, before landing a job downtown. He eats out, walks around the same park and watches the Saskatchewan Roughriders like everybody else.

It all sounds so typical, except for two things.

“I do nothing different from the other individual, except for the colour of my skin and the religion that I choose to practise,” Moolla says.

Moolla is a member of the Muslim community in Regina, which is grieving the deaths of four people killed in an anti-Muslim attack in London, Ont. They were all family members out for a walk Sunday when they were run over by a man driving a pickup truck. The only survivor was a nine-year-old boy. Police say the suspect targeted them because of their faith.

On Wednesday, a candlelight vigil was held in front of the Legislative Building, with Moolla acting as one of the emcees.

In an interview afterwards, the 25-year-old talked about his sense of belonging in Canada, a country he loves and would “die for,” but is still reckoning with its treatment of Indigenous people and ethnic minorities while harbouring those who do not accept people like him. In short, it’s a country he believes has yet to live up to its ideals.

“I hope that one day, we don’t have to have vigils like this. I hope we never have to talk about, ‘Do you feel accepted or belong in a place?’ ” Moolla says.

“We’re constantly trying to prove to other people that we are Canadian, but why is it that we have to prove it, and no one else has to prove it?”

The vigil was held to mourn the deaths of four people killed in an anti-Muslim attack in London, Ont. (Joseph Ho/980 CJME)

Many of the speakers at Wednesday’s vigil came from the Muslim community. In condemning the violence, Regina Huda School president Dr. Ayman Aboguddah said the London attack was an attempt to divide.

“Someone is trying to tarnish the beautiful face of this country. Someone is trying to sabotage the peace and harmony among us and among all Canadians. We will not allow this to happen or to have the upper hand,” Aboguddah said.

Several politicians across the partisan divide also appeared, telling the crowd that they were valued members of the community.

Mark Docherty, MLA for Regina-Coronation Park, said the entire province is grieving with them.

“We stand and we say no. No to Islamophobia. No to racism. No to hate,” Docherty said. “This is your home. You are our friends.”

Regina police Chief Evan Bray urged people to confront bigotry even when it seems innocuous.

“It’s those little conversations and those little comments that test whether or not society is tolerant of that sort of behaviour,” Bray said.

He also challenged the notion that the London attack does not reflect the true nature of Canada.

“Sadly, it is. We can’t say it isn’t because this happened. And until it’s not happening, we all have work to do,” Bray said.

“And do you know who has the most? Any of you that are here tonight and anyone else in our community who looks like me. And I’m not talking about the uniform. I’m talking about the colour of my skin.”

Well over a hundred people attended the vigil, held outside the Legislative Building. (Joseph Ho/980 CJME)

The police chief was applauded after his remarks. His words meant a lot to Moolla.

“I felt safe,” he says. “He said that from the heart and we felt it. So I just hope that others are able to listen to what the chief said and enact and implement that in our community.”

Moolla says he’s been “dabbling” with what to tell young Muslims about the attack. He shares a name with one of the victims, 46-year-old Salman Afzaal. It reminds him they share a faith as well, one he’s determined to keep.

“That triggered something in me that I don’t know if anything has triggered me in a while. Because people in this community know me by Sal,” he says.

“It’s been more or less my name. But my name is Salmaan. And I think it reminded me that yes, I’m Canadian. But yes, I’m Muslim and I’m a Muslim Canadian and we don’t need to hide it anymore. We don’t need to be scared of it. Be proud of who we are. We are model citizens in this community.”