“Today, we remember and honour the lives of Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane, and Aboubaker Thabti, who were brutally murdered in the Islamophobic attack at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec in Sainte-Foy, which also left 19 people injured.

The horror of that day remains a solemn reminder of the pervasiveness of Islamophobia and the devastating consequences of hatred.

It is our duty to match remembrance with responsibility – and build a country where all Canadians can live openly, freely, and safely. The government is taking decisive action to address the horrifying rise in hate and hate-motivated crimes in our communities, including through Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate. We are also committed to engaging with Canadians across the country, including through reforms to the Canada Community Security Program, to help communities more effectively address hate-motivated crime.

Our government stands with the Muslim community against hate and remains steadfast in our commitment to build a country where Canadians of all faiths can thrive.”