3 years after Afzaal family attack in London, Ont., youth group fighting Islamophobia reflects on progress

On the third anniversary of a hate-motivatedtruck attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., a youth group organizing a vigil in their memory saysvery little progress has been made in the fight against Islamophobia.

Increasing acts of hateagainst the Muslim communitysignalthe importance of educating people and driving political change, said Esa Islam of the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia (YCCI).

Islamhopes toensure no other families are destroyed as a result of racism.

"While nothing has been as bad as the June 6 [2021] attack, the fear iswho is going to be the next one," said Islam, 17. "With all these increased acts of violence and aggression, the worry is when will there be that one person who will go over the edge and kill people."

The group was formed following the attack on five members of the Afzaal family, who were out for an evening walk in suburban London when a 20-year-old man drove his truck into them because they were visibly Muslim.

Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parentsMadiha Salman, 44,and Salman Afzaal, 46,and grandmotherTalat Afzaal, 74were killed.A nine-year-old boy who was seriouslyinjuredwas the sole survivor.

After a10-week trial inWindsor, Ont., last year, the man was convicted of terrorism, along with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The case served as a test of how Canada's terror laws apply to white nationalists.

YCCI is made up of dozens of young Londoners between ages of 15 and 25 who focus on educating the community about what Islamophobia looks like and its impacts. They've created resources and modules for elementary and high school children.

HooriyaAnsari, 21, is one of the group's newest members, joininglast year. While she didn't know the Afzaals personally, it's important for her to advocate for all Muslim Canadians, she said.

"The terrorist who committed this attack was not much older than some of the people who are part of YCCI and thematerialthat we're creating for schools can better educate the students who are the future of tomorrow," she said.

Ansari said although the outpouring of community support following the attack was heartfelt, it's crucial to have ongoing discussions about Islamophobic acts, which have been on the rise in the past year. The Muslim community saw the largest increase in reported hate crimeslast year, up263 per cent since 2022.

"Statistics like that are just numbers on paper, but you realize those are lives that have been touched and experiences that will never be erased from people," she said, adding many of her visibly Muslim friends have been spat on andhad their hijabs pulled.

"That just turns into fuel to continue the work we're doing here at YCCI and to make sure we remember why we're doing this work and how meaningful it really is."

Political action necessary

Islam, a relative of the Afzaals, said he wants to see action from politicians.Earlier this week, he accompanied NCCM to Queen's Park in Toronto to move along the passing of the Our London Family Act, which has been at a standstill since it was tabled in 2021.

The Ontario NDP announced Thursday it will unveil next steps in legislating the bill.The province has made movesto fight Islamophobia,including offering grantsfor communities impacted by hate incidents, but critics have said the level and pace has not been enough.

AmiraElghawaby, Canada's special representative on battlingIslamophobia, said London has shown leadership in fighting anti-Muslim racism through appointing aliaison who works with local communities to address hateandthe launch ofan anti-Islamophobia strategyat the Thames Valley District School Board.

Although she's impressed with YCCI's advocacy, she recognizes the challenges the group faces in their battle against Islamophobia.

"It's really sad that these young people have had to grapple with the impact thatIslamophobia has had in their lives andnot only try to deal with it, but they alsocarry the burden of trying to make sense of this attack and ensuringnothing like this happens ever again," she said.

A vigil will take place at Hyde Park and South Carriage Roads, the site of the attack, on Thursday starting at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Islam's goal this year is to push for true change.

"I'm focused on the progress that needs to be made. Obviously grieving will always be part of my experience with June 6 but I want to be looking forward a bit more as to how we can change things," he said.