Londoners remember the Afzaal family

Preparations are underway for the Our London Family Vigil, taking place Tuesday evening at Memorial Plaza.

Crews are working to secure the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road for the event that will honour alman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and 74-year-old grandmother Talat, along with a surviving nine-year-old boy.

Road closures will be in effect in both directions on Hyde Park Road from Sarnia Road to Gainsborough Road beginning at 4 p.m.

The corner of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road will be fully closed as of 8 a.m., the Corner of Gainsborough Road and Prince Wales Gate will be open to local residents only after 3 p.m.

Marking the two year anniversary of the alleged terror attack that took the lives of four members of the same family, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) board has announced an Anti-Islamophobia Strategy.

“The tragic events of June 6 are a solemn reminder of the pervasive and deadly impact that racism, discrimination and hate can have in our society. The Thames Valley District School Board is firmly committed to taking the sustained action necessary to end Islamophobia in our communities,” said Director of Education Mark Fisher.

Hundreds of Londoners gather for the Our London Family Vigil in London, Ont. on June 6, 2023. (Nick Paparella/CTV News London)

According to a release, the board says it is following the lead of and working in conjunction with Muslim community partners to build an effective long-term strategy that simultaneously seeks to affirm Muslim identities while combatting the root causes that give rise to hate and discrimination directed towards the Muslim community.

The board is collaborating with a number of community organizations on the strategy, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Hikma Public Affairs Council and the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support & Integration (MRCSSI).

There will be public consultation and a community survey in the near future to gather input from Muslim families across the district.

The Anti-Islamophobia Strategy is scheduled for release on June 6, 2024.

The Thames Valley District School Board announces an Anti-Islamophobia Strategy to be released in 2024. June 6, 2023. (Marek Sutherland/CTV News London)

Elsewhere around the city, a number of events are taking place to mark the grim anniversary.

• June 6 - Our London Family Vigil, 6:30 p.m. at Hyde Park/South Carriage road
• June 8 - Londoners Remember and Learn, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Jalna Public Library
• June 9 - Combating Islamophobia Together, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Civic Gardens
• June 17 - Pond Fest 2023, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Village Green

 

A number of officials in the city and across the province and country are also sharing their thoughts on social media.

Today, we remember Salman, Madiha, Talat and Yumnah Afzaal who were senselessly killed two years ago. This tragedy has had a devastating impact on London and especially members of our city’s Muslim community.

Islamophobia and hate caused this. Together, we can end both. #ldnont pic.twitter.com/NfJvtcFHGS

— Peter Fragiskatos (@pfragiskatos) June 6, 2023

The lives of three generations of the Afzaal family were taken in an appalling and cowardly terrorist attack two years ago. Today, we remember #OurLondonFamily – Talat, Salman, Madiha, and Yumna – and we stand with Fayez. We must, and we will, keep working to combat Islamophobia.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 6, 2023

Today is a day for reflection as we commemorate the lives of #OurLondonFamily - Talat, Salman, Madiha, and Yumna - killed on this date two years ago on Hyde Park Road in a despicable act of hatred and terrorism.

— Josh Morgan (@JoshMorganLDN) June 6, 2023

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the lives of four of #OurLondonFamily members. This evening, there is a vigil being held to honour the Afzaal family and support the continued healing of the #LdnOnt community. Learn more: https://t.co/Ib2F88BqvZ pic.twitter.com/BgruQe9umi

— London Police Service ON (@lpsmediaoffice) June 6, 2023

Today, we remember...

We remember the loss.
We remember the legacy.

We remember to mourn.
We remember to unite.
We remember to love.

We will never forget June 6th, 2021.

We will not stop fighting.

We will never stop honouring #OurLondonFamily. pic.twitter.com/iRHfgmXrQy

— NCCM (@nccm) June 6, 2023

Hundreds of Londoners gather for the Our London Family Vigil in London, Ont. on June 6, 2023. (Nick Paparella/CTV News London)

 

Hundreds of Londoners gather for the Our London Family Vigil in London, Ont. on June 6, 2023. (Nick Paparella/CTV News London)