Four members of the -Canadian-Pakistani Muslim family killed after a 20-year-old man drove his truck into them in a hate crime, in Ontario, Canada.
The family was walking by the street when the driver drove his truck into them killing four people of the family. Among the deceased family members are grandmother, mother, father, and teenage daughter. The youngest family member, a nine-year-old boy survived the attempted murder. He is critically injured and is expected to undergo surgery.
Canadian Police have declared it a ‘hate crime’. The heart-rending incident has ignited the Muslim community across the world. They are demanding the incident to be labeled a terror act along with strict punishment for the man. Canadian man, Nathaniel Veltman, has been arrested by the Police.
Prime minister @JustinTrudeau Muslims are not SAFE in Canada!
An Innocent Muslim family killed .#MuslimsLiveMatters pic.twitter.com/8gp6xsN2sC— آمنہ خان (@AmnaKhan56) June 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/mshafiquk/status/1401997758832254976?s=20
https://twitter.com/beyrima/status/1401989539405643788?s=20
“It was pre-planned and premeditated and that’s why first-degree murder charges were laid,” London Detective Superintendent Paul Waight told reporters on Monday.
“There is evidence that this was … motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim,” Waight said.
According to the reports, a 74-year-old woman in the family died on the spot while a 44-year-old woman, 46-year-old man, and a 15-year-old female died after reaching the hospital.
According to the witnesses, the man rammed his truck into the family that was out on a Sunday morning walk and then ran off at high speed.
In Canada, 4 Muslims were murdered in a hit a run, targeted for their Muslimness.#Islamophobia is an issue not treated with the seriousness it deserves. https://t.co/XS05aZeftF
— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) June 7, 2021
#Islamophobia and #Canada have been heavily trending on social media with Muslims from all around the world demanding justice for the family. Not just from outside Canada but condemnation and messages of mourning and are pouring in from the top tier of the Canadian government.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his shock on Tuesday in a tweet. “I’m horrified by the news from London, Ontario. To the loved ones of those who were terrorized by yesterday’s act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital – our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover,” said Trudeau in a tweet.
“To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable – and it must stop,” Justin Trudeau added.
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According to media reports, the incident is said to be the worst attack against Muslim communities in Canada following a Quebec City Mosque incident in 2017 when a gunman killed members of the mosque in a deadly hate crime.
The friends and neighbors of the victims of the Ontario incident are mourning, while a vigil has been organized on Tuesday night in a mosque to remember the victim. Meanwhile, mourners are reaching the scene of the incident, dropping flowers and praying for the family.
My heart ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WmmRF010CD
— Mo (@MohamedMOSalih) June 8, 2021
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The man has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The ethnic communities have plunged into fear and shock following the incident in Canada.
Social media users are discussing the rampant racism in Canada despite having the gun laws and being a multi-cultural and ethnic society.
Pakistan has staged a strong protest against the anti-Islam hate crimes against Muslims in Canada. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi have condemned the incident on Tuesday. PM Imran Khan has again urged the Muslim world to unite against Islamophobia.
Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario. This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophonia needs to be countered holistically by the international community.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 8, 2021
3 generations of Pakistani-Canadians were killed in a brutal act of mass murder for their Muslim faith. This is an act of terror rooted in unspeakable hatred & Islamophobia.
Extend our deepest sympathy to the family members & pray for recovery of the only survivor; a little boy.— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) June 8, 2021
Both of them have extended their solidarity, sympathy and prayers for the family.