The targeted death of a Pakistani-origin Muslim family in Canada outraged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who urged for a united front against Islamophobia.
“I am appalled by the targeted and heinous attack on a Muslim family in Ontario, Canada,” the UN chief wrote on Twitter.
I am appalled by the targeted and heinous attack on a Muslim family in Ontario, Canada. My heart goes out to the victims, surviving family and loved ones – and the community.
We must stand united against Islamophobia and all forms of hatred, now more than ever.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 8, 2021
The targeted death of a Pakistani-origin Muslim family in Canada outraged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who urged for a united front against Islamophobia. “My heart goes out to the victims, surviving family and loved ones – and the community,” he said.
The family slain in a hit-and-run event in Canada was allegedly targeted because they were Muslim, according to Canadian authorities. The family moved to Canada 14 years ago from Pakistan.
“We must stand united against Islamophobia and all forms of hatred, now more than ever,” the secretary-general said in his tweet.
A truck driver deliberately ran into a family on Sunday evening, killing four people and leaving one survivor in the hospital with significant but non-life-threatening injuries.
Nathaniel Veltman, 20, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder after police claimed he acted with purpose.
A 46-year-old man, his 44-year-old wife, a 15-year-old daughter, and her 74-year-old grandmother were among the dead. Their nine-year-old kid is in a hospital receiving treatment for severe injuries.
‘You are not alone,’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assures Canadian Muslims.
Prior to that, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his sympathies to the victims of the incident, which he described as an “act of evil.”
Thousands of people flocked to a mosque on Oxford Street to hold a vigil for the victims. Around 7:30 p.m., the rally started in the parking lot of the London Muslim Mosque.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, London Mayor Ed Holder, and other politicians were among those who attended the two-hour vigil, which was aired live on Facebook.
“You are not alone. All Canadians mourn with you and stand with you, tonight and always,” Trudeau said, acknowledging the telling effect of Islamophobia on Muslims across Canada. “Islamophobia is real. Racism is real. You should not have to face hate in your communities, in your country. We can and we will act. We can and we will choose a better way.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed his grief for the family and the community at large. “What happened here in London is a tragedy beyond words,” he said in an emotional message.
“It was an act of terrorism against a family targeted for their religion. This type of racism and terrorism cannot and will not be tolerated.”
London Mayor Ed Holder slammed Sunday’s events as “an act of mass murder, and a grotesque expression of hatred rooted in Islamophobia.” He called for love and support for Muslims.
