Canada remembers victims of Quebec City mosque attack four years on

Justin Trudeau declares January 29 national day of remembrance and pledges action against Islamophobia

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, August 18, 2020. AFP

Four years ago, a lone gunman walked into the Centre Culturel Islamique in Quebec City and opened fire.

Six worshippers were killed and 19 others wounded in one of Canada's worst terrorist attacks in history. The perpetrator was charged with six counts of murder and attempted murder.

The attack on the Islamic centre traumatised Quebec and Canada’s Muslim population but it reverberated far beyond those communities.

Now, the Canadian government has declared January 29 the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement honouring the six community members who died and pledged to continue to fight against Islamophobia in Canada.

“We will stand united against division and violence, neither of which have any place in Quebec and in Canada. We will always defend our values of respect for diversity, openness and inclusion, regardless of our beliefs, background and religion,” Mr Trudeau said in a statement.

In 2019, the Trudeau government launched Canada’s Antiracism Strategy, which aims to build on the country’s multicultural approach.

According to Mr Trudeau’s statement, eliminating Islamophobia is a central part of the strategy.

“In 2019, we launched the Digital Citizen Initiative, which aims to combat online hate and help Canadians better understand disinformation and its impacts on our society. In addition, we are continuing to ensure that Canadians feel safe in their places of worship and in their communities, through investments from the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Programme.”