NDP CALL FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE ON LONDON ATTACK

EDMONTON - Alberta’s NDP will put forward a motion in the Alberta Legislature for an emergency debate on the anti-Muslim attack that took place in London. 

On Monday, four family members were killed when they were hit by a vehicle in London, Ont., in what police say was an attack targeting them over their Muslim faith. 

The attack follows a violent incident in Alberta where a Muslim family in Edmonton were the targets of a road rage incident where a man deliberately rammed their vehicle. Over the past few months there have also been physical attacks against Muslim women where attackers have attempted to pull off hijabs.

“This is happening here and now in our province. People of colour continue to live in fear, and that fear only grows as more of these attacks continue. We need to take a stand against rising anti-Muslim violence in Alberta,” said Calgary-McCall MLA Irfan Sabir, who will introduce the debate motion.

The previous NDP government created the Anti-Racism Advisory Council to provide advice on efforts to combat racism and promote more inclusive and accepting communities across Alberta. The council has written a report with recommendations to fight racist violence, but it has not been publicly released. 

Over the last 12 months, Alberta’s NDP have also been listening to members of racialized and religious communities through anti-racism consultations to develop policy solutions to address racism in Alberta. 

“Unfortunately, the work of the council has been stalled by the current government. While they say they’re working on it, we need more than empty promises and lip service to address it. If we want to build an inclusive province where everyone feels safe, we need action,” Sabir said.

The NDP motion calls for the following:

• Acknowledge and mourn that four Muslim Canadians—a grandmother, a mother, father and teenage daughter—were killed yesterday, and a little boy seriously injured because of hatred, bigotry and terrorism in our society.
• Take a stand against anti-Muslim hate and hate crimes in Canada and Alberta, where a number of hate-motivated crimes have taken place this year including a similar incident last month in Edmonton when a Muslim family was the target of a road rage.
• Urge the Government of Alberta to work with Muslim and racialized communities and all parties of the Legislative Assembly to prevent hate-crimes, support victims of hate crimes, fund public education and race-based data collection, and increase funding to and the mandate of the Human Rights Commission, including the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee.
• Further urge the Government of Alberta to:
• table the report and recommendations of the Alberta Anti-Racism Advisory Council by Thursday, June 10; and
• strike a bi-partisan committee of the legislative assembly today to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of this report.