Toronto residents walk in Scarborough to honour Muslim family killed in attack, condemn hate
It's been six days since four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., were killed in an attack that police have called a hate crime, and for many, the grief hasn't stopped.
Residents in Scarborough, Ont., joined a solidarity walk on Saturday to show support for members of the Muslim community devastated by the killing that took the lives of Talat Afzaal, 74, her son Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah Salman.
"When I heard the news it was so sad. The tears came out." Mohsin Patel told CTV News Toronto on Saturday. "I can't express, I can't tell how to take this, because just as a Muslim we don't feel safe to go walk on the street."
Patel and hundreds of others walked in solidarity through Scarborough, including Muslim Canadians and members of different faith communities. They took to the street in memory of the four members of the Afzaal family, who were killed last Sunday.
More than 200 kilometres from the site of the unspeakable tragedy, the events of last weekend hit very close to home for many who came out to walk.
Addressing the crowd, which gathered outside of the Scarborough Muslim Association, Toronto resident Rafia Kouser said, "when we say 'this is not our Canada,' it has been our Canada for years. There has been nothing done about it."
Many in the crowd said they often live with fear over how they might be treated simply because of their faith.
"Me and my family, when we go for a walk, we should not be fear for anything" Patel said. "This is a multicultural country, everybody has a right to treat everybody equally."
Another participant, Aqueelah Ali, shared with CTV New Toronto numerous examples of how she feels singled out on a daily basis due to her faith.
"It's sad," Ali said. "I am a Canadian citizen. I grew up here. I work with everyone and for some reason I'm still … frowned upon.”
Several other participants shared messages of strength and hope at the walk.
"I'm going to be honest with all of you," speaker Tanvir Ahmed told the crowd. "I hold some fear, I hold some anxiety. Like many people my age, I don't know what I'm going to do, who I might become. But I know for certain that no matter where I go, no matter who I will be, I will always be a proud Canadian Muslim."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.