OTTAWA – On the one-year anniversary of the Quebec City Mosque shooting, a majority of Canadians say that they are supportive of an anti-anti-Islamophobia Day, according to a new poll.
“Our people have suffered enough. It’s time we recognize this tragedy for what it is,” said Jeremy Garrison from the National Association of Against Anti-Islamophobia. “Just because some people were killed last year, doesn’t mean we don’t need a day where we reflect on our need to not have a day in which we reflect on our shared, deep-seated fear of one of the major religious groups within Canada: Terrorist Islam.”
The poll suggests that even though the six worshippers killed by the gunman, Alexandre Bissonnette, during the attack on the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City on January 29th, 2017 were the only victims to actually die from a terrorist attack within Canada that year, most Canadians remain suspicious of Muslims generally, citing some unfavourable experiences in taxi cabs, their “weird hats,” and the fact that Obama was a secret one.
Activists have suggested today as a day of action, where pro-anti-anti-Islamophobes can come together and march in the streets to stand up to the hegemonic anti-Islamophobic rhetoric of peace, tolerance, shared humanity, and understanding.
“All we want to do is have a day where Canadians can make broad generalizations about an entire group of people within a public place,” said Maggie Sutherman, 67, from Cape Breton, NS. “A place I can bring my grandchildren to paint signs saying “Go Back To Where You Came From” or “Islam is a Religion of Hate” as a family.
“Frankly I’d love a day where we can show those anti-Islamophobia people they’re wrong,” said Andrew McMillan, 23, of Lethbridge, AB. “If people aren’t anti-anti-Islamophobic now, then Sharia law will replace our God-given constitution.”
“It’s just a matter of time,” he added.
The same poll shows that many Canadians were expressing outrage that the government was letting in so many immigrants, while simultaneously sending off a 23andMe test to discover their immigrant heritage.
