OTTAWA – Canadian Muslim groups have condemned the two deadly attacks this week, saying the incidents have no connection to Islam or its beliefs as they fear unwarranted backlash from anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim extremists.
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who was born as Michael Joseph Hall, described as a recent Muslim convert, shot and killed a guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday before launching an attack in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, reported CBC news.
This came two days after another recent convert, Martin Couture-Rouleau, struck and killed a Canadian Forces member with a vehicle.
Ihsaan Gardee, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, denounced the attacks in a news conference on Thursday. He said an attack on one Canadian represented an attack on all Canadians.
“We stand united with Canadians in categorically condemning these cowardly and heinous acts. Our message to anyone who believes in violent extremist ideologies is that you have nothing to do with Islam,” Gardee said.
“You have nothing to do with the noble principles of our faith, which categorically condemns the taking of innocent life.”
One Ottawa imam said he worried the incident, one unlike any other that’s happened in Ottawa before, would change the city and its residents’ attitudes.
”I hope we are not going to change too much as far as our safety is concerned and as far as our freedom is concerned, but our safety was affected, “said imam Sikander Hashmi from the Kanata Muslim Association on CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning,
”It definitely feels very different. It’s actually making me feel very sad.”
Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau sent out a letter that encouraged building the relationships between ethnic groups over breaking them. He also said police are aware of potential concerns for Muslim groups.
”This is about one individual who committed a despicable act,” Bordeleau said, “I want to reassure [groups] should there be any backlash that they notify us.… We are there to continue to support them.”
Courtesy CBC News
