FOR THE SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE QUEBEC CITY MOSQUE SHOOTING, IT IS TIME TO REMEMBER AND ACT BY JOINING THE GREEN SQUARE CAMPAIGN

(January 27th, 2023) 

Quebec City, Quebec — This Sunday, January 29th, marks the second annual “National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.”  

On that day, we will remember again. We will remember that action starts with remembrance. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) calls on Canadians of all backgrounds to remember the fallen and reflect on the road ahead to combat hate.  

Six years ago, an Islamophobic attack took the lives of six worshippers in Quebec City’s Islamic Cultural Centre. Some perished because they tried to stop the attacker from taking more lives.  

We have not forgotten their names. We will keep speaking their names:  

  • Ibrahima Barry   
  • Mamadou Tanou Barry   
  • Khaled Belkacemi     
  • Aboubaker Thabti     
  • Abdelkrim Hassane   
  • Azzedine Soufiane  

Since then, we have lost more lives in Islamophobic attacks at Toronto’s IMO mosque and in London, ON. This Sunday, we will remember, as remembrance is the first step toward action.  

NCCM is urging all Canadians to take the step towards collective action by joining the Green Square Campaign, which urges all people of good will across Canada to help commemorate the fallen. We encourage everyone to put on a green square on their lapel and help organize local communities to advocate for change in the fight against Islamophobia.  

The colour green represents the green carpet of the Quebec City mosque where the fallen last stood to pray, as well as the colour of Paradise, where, God willing, our brothers now rest with ease and tranquility.  

“January 29th is a day that will forever be etched in our hearts. We lost innocent lives to senseless Islamophobic violence that day, but we, as a community, will not be broken. We stand strong, together, against hate and we invite everyone to join us,” says NCCM CEO Stephen Brown. “There is so much we can do including talking to local representatives to light up local monuments in green as an act of remembrance, or organizing a local vigil, or taking action by joining our letter writing campaign to urge Ottawa to set up a National Support Fund for Survivors of Hate-Motivated Crimes. I invite each and every Canadian to take a step towards a Canada free of hate.”  

For more details on specific actions that can be done as part of the Campaign, please visit: https://www.nccm.ca/greensquare/  

We are already seeing community organizers and activists across Canada taking action to mark this day. This includes municipalities all over the country that will light their local monuments, city halls, and landmarks in green. The following cities will have their monuments lit green in commemoration:   

  • Toronto Sign 
  • CN Tower 
  • Mississauga Clocktower 
  • London City Hall 
  • Vaughan City Hall 
  • Niagara Falls 
  • British Columbia Legislative Building 
  • Vancouver City Hall 

There is no more urgent a time to act against Islamophobia. Attacks against Muslims have risen steadily in the past few years. Systemic anti-Muslim hate and bias permeate many of our institutions.   

The opportunity to act is right in front of us. Let’s get to work.  

Join the Green Square Campaign today.