Khalil Center’s Statement regarding the London Family Attack
The Khalil Center team is devastated at the news of the tragic hate crime that took the lives of a beloved Muslim family in London, Ontario earlier this week. We acknowledge the immense grief and sadness that friends, family, and the greater London community are feeling upon the loss of these precious individuals. We also recognize that along with the sadness, there is a lot of anger, frustration and confusion towards the occurrence of this tragedy. We collectively pray that God raises their ranks in the afterlife.
The following ḥadīth (prophetic narration) may provide some consolation to us all:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Never a believer is stricken with discomfort, hardship or illness, grief or even with mental worry that his sins are not expiated for him.” [Sahīh Muslim: 2573]
Despite the strong Muslim roots that go back to the birth of Canada and the United States, this event makes apparent the continual existence of Islamophobia which continues to leave a huge stain on our societies. It is evident that such levels of hatred can lead an individual to perform such inhumane, unthinkable and unimaginable types of crimes against others. A tragedy like this has left Canadian and American Muslims feeling a sense of fear and discomfort in their own neighborhoods and communities. Although this is a natural feeling for one to experience after such an event, we want to remind ourselves and the society at large of the resiliency of our community through our continuous refusal to live in fear. Muslims are indigenous to these lands and are here to stay! Our community continues to grow and flourish consistently as evidenced by the institutions we have built and the positive effects we have had on both Canadian and American societies.
We hope that this can be a time of reflection for us all and a reason for us coming together in unison to stand against oppression, racism and Islamophobia.
Khalil Center stands in support of the London Muslim community and all those impacted by this tragedy, and will do everything in its capacity to provide the necessary services needed for healing and growth. There will be 6 support circles held virtually for anyone who is in need and 4 weeks of complementary counseling given to the city of London to help our communities effectively cope with this tragedy.
Please don’t hesitate to call our crisis hotline at 1-855-5HELPKC or email us directly at [email protected] with subject line #OurLondonFamily for more information.
Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi
Executive Director