'It would be significant step forward': London Muslim Community hopes to see 'Our London Family Act' bill passed

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was joined by Muslim leaders in London, Ont. Saturday morning asking for support to pass the ‘Our London Family Act’ bill.

Flanked by local NDP MPPs as well as the London Muslim Mosque's (LMM) Imam Aarij Anwer, and Rizwan Mohammed of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Horwath described her provincial bill which would help combat Islamophobia.

"It would be a significant step forward, it would represent real progress," says Anwer, the director of religious affairs at LMM.

The gathering came on the fifth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack that killed six men and injured 19 others.

Alexandre Bissonnette has since pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

"In the last four years, the Muslim community in Canada has seen 11 lives taken from us," says Anwer. "Six in Quebec City, one in Etobicoke and four in London."

Horwath wants action taken immediately, saying, "No woman should have to fear walking on the street wearing her hijab for fear of being attacked or having it ripped off of her head."

"Nobody should come to prayer services and have to look over their shoulder and worry who might be coming in the door as they worship, Horwath added. “That shouldn't be happening in Ontario and it shouldn't be happening in Canada."

Four members of the Afzaal family were killed in London, Ont. in June 2021, in what police are calling a hate-related, anti-Muslim attack.

Over the past seven months, the LMM has taken steps to ensure the safety of its members.

"We're always looking over our shoulders," says Anwer. "We're always upping our security measures and we've spent over $100,000 since the Afzaal family tragedy to upgrade our security system and apparatus. We hire police officers for every congregational Friday prayer. These are measures that we have taken even more seriously and have amped it up. So as an institution, we're always concerned about that."

Anwer calls his people "resilient" and says fear has not held them back from attending the mosque.

The NCCM credits London Mayor Ed Holder, as well as city council, for its commitment to action as it relates to combatting Islamophobia.

"They supported calls from the London Muslim mosque for an emergency National Action summit on Islamophobia, which was held last July 2021," says Rizwan Mohammad, advocacy officer for the NCCM.

"The City of London established a working group on Islamophobia that worked diligently in the month since that summit to come to a point where today they are not only endorsing the municipal recommendations to address Islamophobia that came out of that summit, but they are going further. Six months after that National Summit, the City of London is now the first city in Canada to present a clear and concrete action plan to implement our municipal recommendations to address Islamophobia," Mohammad added.

Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner have both committed to supporting the ‘Our London Family Act’ bill which will be tabled by the Ontario NDP Party.

Both the NCCM and Horwath hope all parties can come together to pass the bill in the spring before the election in June.

"I would urge Premier [Doug] Ford to pass this legislation quickly," says Horwath. "They are a majority government so it will be up to them to determine whether or not this legislation goes forward."

Horwath is encouraged and says "more and more people are saying no to this kind of hate and violence."

"We can have an Ontario that's peaceful and that the people feel secure and loved in and not have to be fearful every time they walk out of their house," she said. 

— With files from CTV London's Kristylee Varley