Justin Trudeau, federal leaders commit to fighting hate in wake of attack on Muslim family in London, Ont.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the attack that killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., a terrorist attack motivated by hatred.
Trudeau said hate is often fuelled by small actions that can turn into ugly" trends - and real violence.
The jokes that are not funny. The casual racism. The insinuations that are only meant to diminish. The toxic rhetoric," the prime minister said in the House of Commons Tuesday morning, after MPs observed a moment of silence for the victims.
The disinformation and the extremism online. The polarization we too often see in our public discourse and in our politics."
Trudeau committed to continuing to fund initiatives like the Security Infrastructure Program, tackling hate on and off the internet and taking further action to dismantle far right hate groups.
On Sunday, a family of five out for an evening walk were hit by the driver of a speeding truck. London police say the family was intentionally targeted because of their faith.
Police have not released the names of the victims, but a statement released by the family late Monday identified them as Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman and Afzaal's 74-year-old mother.
The couple's nine-year-old son Fayez was seriously injured but is expected to survive.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole also did not shy away from labelling the incident an act of terror."
Over the last year, we have become more separated from one another. Police services have warned of a dramatic increase in hate crime, violent extremism, Islamophobia and other signs of intolerance from one part of our country to another," O'Toole said.
Reflecting on his parents' decision to make Canada their home, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that while he loves this country, its harsh realities cannot be ignored.
Our Canada is a place where 215 little kids were found dead in unmarked graves. Our Canada is a place where you can't walk down the streets if you wear a hijab because you will be killed," Singh said.
The reality is, our Canada is a palace of racism, of violence, of genocide of Indigenous people. And our Canada is a place where Muslims are not safe."
Former prime minister Stephen Harper took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to convey his belief that Canada is a place of tolerance and pluralism."
Cruel acts of racial and faith based hatred must be unequivocally condemned by us all. Laureen and I join our fellow Canadians in praying for the Afzaal and Salman families during this unfathomably difficult time."
On Monday, the Muslim Association of Canada said this country is witnessing a rise in far-right extremism and hate-motivated attacks.
The government and security agencies need to address the roots of this troubling trend," the association said in a statement.
A vigil is scheduled later this evening in London at the family's mosque. Trudeau is expected to attend.
With files from The Canadian Press
Raisa Patel is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @R_SPatel