Trudeau Liberals open search for special rep to combat 'Islamophobia' in Canada

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

• By Raheel Raza

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Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has started a search for a special representative to fight against “Islamophobia” in Canada, the minister of diversity announced on the anniversary of a deadly attack against a Muslim family in London, Ontario.

Ahmed Hussen, the government’s minister of diversity, inclusion, and youth in Canada said Monday that the government has opened applications for a special representative dedicated to stamping out “Islamophobia” in Canada. The individual who holds the position will be responsible for advising Trudeau’s federal government and offer recommendations, Global News reported. 

“The special representative to combat Islamophobia will be the champion, the expert, the advocate and the adviser to the government on Islamophobia,” Hussen stated. 

The creation of the new government role was made by the National Summit of Islamophobia in July 2021 following the murders of four members of the Afzaal family in London, who were struck down by 21-year-old Nathaniel Veltman on June 6, 2021. Only one member of the family, a 9-year-old boy, survived the brutal attack.

“Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah Afzaal and Salman’s 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal were killed. The couple’s nine-year-old son sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and survived the attack,” Global News reported. 

Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting the family with his pickup truck and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Prosecutors describe it as an act of terrorism. A trial date has been set for September 2023. 

“The lives of three generations of the Afzaal family were taken by a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of terrorist violence,” said Trudeau in a visit to the London, Ont. community on Sunday. He said during his remarks that millions of Canadians face microaggressions, discrimination, and systemic racism over their ethnicity. 

Hussen said that the new representative will “work tirelessly to combat Islamophobia” in Canada. 

“The Liberals’ 2022 budget included $1.2 million in funding for the role and Hussen said there will be a ‘transparent’ process for selecting the representative,” Global News reported.