Vigil for victims of London, Ont. vehicle attack held at Ottawa Human Rights Monument
A vigil to mourn the deaths of four Muslim family members who were killed by a driver in London, Ont., in what police have called an intentional, hate-motivated incident, was held at Ottawa's Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street Tuesday evening.
The Canadian Council of Muslim Women Ottawa and other members of the Ottawa-Gatineau Muslim community organized the vigil.
It began at 7 p.m. at the Human Rights Monument at Elgin and Lisgar. Hundreds of residents were in attendance.
Zia and Naaz Nathoo brought their sons to help them understand what happened.
"We are here to honour the family and to teach our children they don't have to fear living in Canada," Naaz Nathoo said.
"To be here and for them to see it, it explains their questions and gives them the answers they need," said Zia Nathoo.
The Nathoos say this act of terror does not represent the Canada they know and the people who gathered in solidarity Tuesday evening are the true face of the community.
"It feels good its good to see the different backgrounds of people here," Zia said. "Nomatter what your colour is, your race, your religion, where you are from, how old you are, what gender you are, it really does not matter."
But not everyone feels unafraid. Maryan Refai, whose family knew the victims' family, thinks Canada has to change to make everyone feel safe.
"To be honest, I don’t always feel safe in Canada. I'm always cautious and looking around, especially when I’m the only person of colour in the room," Refai said.
The former Western University student lived near where the Afzaal family was killed.
"It was heartbreaking. I cried. I was so upset. It feels like a punch in my heart when I see things like this happen it affects me as if it was my own family," she said.
A driver in a pickup truck struck the family Sunday evening in London while they were out for a walk, and all but one of them were killed. A statement released to the media by a family spokesperson names the deceased as Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, their daughter Yumna and Salman's mother. Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal survived the attack and "is on the road to recovery from serious injuries," the statement reads.
The victims are being remembered as pillars of the London community, who attended mosque regularly, volunteered, and were kind and helpful to everyone.
Speaking in the House of Commons Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred to the incident as a terrorist attack. Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford attended a vigil in London Tuesday evening.
- If you need mental health support following the news of this attack in London, Ont., you can find links and phone numbers to support services here.
Nathaniel Veltman, 20, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. During a news conference Monday afternoon, London police confirmed that there was evidence that the incident was hate-motivated and the family was targeted because they were Muslim.
Police also said Monday that they were not aware of any connections between Veltman and the Afzaal family, nor were they aware of any link between the suspect and organized hate groups.
As speakers at the Ottawa vigil took turns denouncing anti-Muslim hatred, one message was clear, that nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal would not be alone.
"You have lost a mother, father, sister, and grandmother, but you have gained millions who will support you and be part of your family now," Naaz Nathoo said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.