Windsor-Essex MPPs supporting calls for National Action Summit on Islamophobia

WINDSOR — Windsor-Essex NDP MPPs are supporting calls from the Windsor-Essex Muslim community, the National Council of Canadian Muslims and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath for all levels of government to come together for a National Action Summit on Islamophobia.

Percy Hatfield (Windsor-Tecumseh), Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West), and Taras Natyshak (Essex) echoed the message from NDP Leader Andrea Horwath in her open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford calling for the summit, and for all political leaders to take action now to eradicate hate, systemic racism, and Islamophobia.

“The attack in London that killed three generations of one family has shaken us all. We cannot ignore Islamophobia. We must come together as a community and as political leaders to end the hatred,” said Hatfield.

The NDP has been calling for funding for a provincial Anti-Racism Strategy that combats hate and Islamophobia in communities and stops the spread of white supremacist groups and ideology. The Windsor-Essex MPPs say Islamophobia knows no jurisdictional and territorial boundaries and everyone must step up now and coordinate a systemic government approach to combating this hate.

“The Islamophobic terrorist attack against the Afzaal family was also an attack on us all. It shocked us, and it angered us. It has also united us in grief and in pain. We must resolve to eliminate Islamophobia, hatred and racism from our society, from our hearts and from our minds,” said Gretzky.

“We must honour the Afzaal family with action. Everyone should be able to walk and travel in safety on our streets and in our communities. No one should fear for their lives because of their skin colour, their articles of clothing, or their faith,” said Natyshak.