Ahmed Yousef didn’t sleep Sunday night after six people were killed at a Quebec City mosque.
“It’s a kick in the face, what’s happened,” said Yousef, with the Islamic Society of Ridge Meadows.
Muslims and Islam are constantly being demonized by Islamophobic rhetoric, which he said is the most dangerous thing to Muslims today.
“How much hatred is there being fed to people by sensationalizing an Islamphobic rhetoric that would cause someone of this demeanour to carry out this level of violence?”
Yousef added that many Muslims feel they constantly have to work against the perception that Islam is equated with terrorism.
“The community, as a whole, becomes painted with the same brush.”
The Islamic Society of Ridge Meadows sent out a statement Monday condemning the attack.
In the past, the association has also spoken out against the attacks in France, Belgium and Germany.
“We condemn, in no uncertain terms, violence and Islamophobia as a plague of our times. Today is the day that we can no longer be silent, as silence is agreement. Today, we call upon all those of sound mind and judgment to stand up to the unfair treatment and demonization of Muslims.
Yousef said mosques usually have no security because people come there to worship and they’re considered houses of God.
But now individuals and mosques around Metro Vancouver will be reviewing their own security and that inside the mosques.
In Maple Ridge, local Muslims meet in the Maple Ridge public library every Friday for prayers.
Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP Dan Ruimy will be speaking to them on this Friday, in the wake of the attacks.
“We must all remain united in the fight against hatred, racism, and intolerance,” Ruimy said on Twitter.
“To all Muslim Canadians, Canada is and will always remain your home.”
Yousef said the Muslim faith “is one of peace, love, and coexistence. It is only the ignorance perpetuated by Islamophobes who present falsehoods to the public.
“It is our duty to stand up and call them out for the hatred and bigotry they promote. We must stand as one in the face of these egregious attacks on our faith, our brothers and sisters, and our identity.”
The B.C. Muslim Association issued a statement Monday, condemning the attack.
“Place of worship is a sacred sanctity and should always be maintained irrespective of one’s faith,” it read.
It urged Muslim communities in the province to be “more vigilant and report to local authorities for any suspicious activities, incidence or threats,” and called on police to help protect “all locations of worship from such violent and illegal acts.”
Raza Mirani, general secretary with the Pakistan Canada Association, said most mosques in B.C. have security cameras, but they are still public places and open to all.
“Making it more difficult to attend defeats the purpose” Milani said, adding that he’s waiting to learn about the motive for the Quebec City attack.
He was at the association’s gala on Sunday, celebrating its 50th anniversary when guests got word of the attack.
They were quick to give condolences and support, especially during a time when Mirani said many Muslims are feeling segregated because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to ban those from seven Muslim-majourity countries from entering his country.
Premier Christy Clark released a statement Monday morning, saying she was “shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting in Quebec, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the incident as “a terrorist attack on Muslims.”
Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, faces several charges, including murder, after gunfire erupted at the Islamic Cultural Centre de Quebec in Quebec City Sunday night, leaving six people dead and five others in critical condition.
Police have yet to speak on motive.
– with files from Black Press