Policy Alert: #OurLondonFamily and the Civic Response

Content warning: Islamophobia; ant-Muslim hate; death

On Tuesday, June 15, in the wake of the deadly attack on the Afzaal family, London's City Council unanimously passed an emergent motion directing City staff to:

  • Work with the local Muslim community, the Community Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and stakeholders to help end Islamophobia and report back on the outcomes of that work, including the identification of a source of funding, if applicable, to properly fund initiatives to assist with the implementation of these initiatives;

  • Seek input from the Muslim community to determine appropriate means by which The Corporation of the City of London can remember and honour the victims; and,

  • Work with the local Muslim community and report back on how The Corporation of the City of London can highlight and honour the contributions of the London Muslim community.

An amendment was also passed that states:

  • The Municipal Council SUPPORTS the call for a National Action Summit on Islamophobia and stands ready to participate in any Summit or related intergovernmental effort to dismantle all forms of Islamophobia.

We are encouraged by this motion and the unanimity of Council. Pillar has reached out to many leading members across Muslim communities to express support and commit to elevating the calls to action against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate. Pillar also reached out and engaged City officials on concrete actions, including supporting the calls for a national summit on Islamophobia. We will continue to call on the City to centre Muslim experiences in planning next steps, holding space for voices from Muslim organizations and from organizations serving Muslim communities. We are hopeful that the City’s new Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression division will help to embed this work across the whole of municipal government. Organizationally, we will continue to bring an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to our policy advocacy. We continue to share in calling for a National Action Summit on Islamophobia.

Addressing Islamophobia, interrupting it and making our communities safe for Muslims must be a whole-of-society effort, including all of us in the social impact sector. To imagine a way forward, we must understand the impact of our past. Canada did not respond to the Quebec Mosque Massacre in the same way, and despite saying “never again,” only four years later, we are faced with the hard truth that advocates have declared: Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate, systemic discrimination, colonialism and white supremacy are intricately woven into the social fabric of this country. 

Confronting Islamophobia and all intersecting forms of oppression includes dismantling systemic discrimination. In this moment, it’s important to acknowledge that people perpetuate systems and uphold them. That’s why people have the power to shift systems and dismantle oppression. We believe that it is possible to co-create a future that is rooted in love and compassion, and that we must all be a part of the actions towards meaningful change.

To this end, we will continue to consider the role that Pillar can and must play - following, walking alongside, or leading as best serves the communities most impacted. We also are seeking to act beyond our statement of solidarity published last week. With the benefit of Pillar’s Inclusive Program Designer, we published reflections last year on the question, "What does it mean to act as an Ally?" We are re-reading it now and recommend it to you.

Resources and Ways to Support

Crowdsourced Funding for the Afzaal Family

Other Ways to Give

Response and Resources from Organizations

More resources and further reading

Article type: 
News

Whether you're looking for volunteer opportunities,
networking events or a job in the nonprofit sector, we can help.

VolunteerEventsJobs