London’s commemoration of Afzaal family

Hundreds gather to commemorate Afzaal family, reports CTV London's Lauren Stallone.

Hundreds gathered at a vigil Friday night in London, Ont., to commemorate four years since the brutal killing of the Afzaal family.

“It’s so important for us to remember what happened, to remember this family and recommit to standing united against all forms of hatred, including Islamophobia,” said Amira Elghawaby, a Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.

The family was out for an evening walk on June 6, 2021, when they were run over by Nathaniel Veltman, who was later convicted of first-degree murder and deemed a terrorist by the courts.

“It happened because they were Muslim which is deeply, deeply painful for Canadians across the country and of course London Muslims,” said Elghawaby.

Advocates expressed events like this one help bring the community together, show solidarity and respect for human rights.

“This is really a whole of society issue that all Canadians benefit from supporting and addressing,” said Elghawaby.

The Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia organized the event, to ensure no other families are destroyed as a result of hate.

“We believe that silence is an enabler of hatred,” said Malik Khandakar, YCCI communications director. “We feel the signs you give are an agreement and if you don’t speak up against hatred this allows people to think it’s ok.”

Khandakar said more must be done to put an end to Islamophobia.

“We feel it needs a larger community because we can’t just speak for ourselves. We need to have other people come out and gather. That’s an important aspect of how we can move forward,” said Khandakar.