MONTREAL — Only one bullet hole remains in the wall of the Centre culturel islamique de Quebec, eight years after a gunman stormed into the mosque and killed six Muslim men who had come to pray.
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While a major renovation erased most traces of the attack, the mosque’s president, Mohamed Labidi, says the one hole was left there as a reminder to never forget the Jan. 29, 2017 shooting that claimed the lives of Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti.
But as time passes, he worries the wider population is no longer heeding the message of remembrance.
“Unfortunately this year, there was not much enthusiasm from our Quebec brothers who did not answer the call of our mosque open house and open door conferences,” he said. Attendance at the events and lectures, which were organized to build bridges between communities in the lead-up to the anniversary, was disappointing, he added.
“It seems like people are starting to forget,” he said.
On Wednesday, more events are planned in Montreal and Quebec City to mark the anniversary. Mayor Valerie Plante will preside over a ceremony and moment of silence at Montreal City Hall, while the events in Quebec City include a discussion on Islamophobia, prayers, and a couscous dinner in memory of the victims.
The Canadian Muslim Forum, which is helping organize Wednesday evening’s commemoration at Montreal City Hall, warned that Canada’s Muslims continue to be the target of bigotry. “In the years since the massacre, Islamophobia has spread far beyond the fringes of extremist ideologies,” the group said in a news release. “It is present in political platforms, mainstream media, workplaces, public spaces, and many facets of daily life.”
A vigil is being organized for 4 p.m. Wednesday outside Montreal’s Parc metro station to remember the victims. “Their violent deaths left six widows without their husbands and 17 orphans without their fathers,” Samira Laouni, one of the vigil organizers, said in a news release. “Their stories should never be forgotten. We must always remember.”
On Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Quebec City to meet with the families of the victims. Quebec City’s mayor and Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, attended a public ceremony earlier in the day.
“When I met once again this past weekend with the widows and children of those who were killed, they shared their hope that fellow Canadians will stand together in solidarity. And never forget,” Elghawaby wrote on X Wednesday.
Alexandre Bissonnette pleaded guilty in March 2018 to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, and has been sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years. The gunman admitted to walking into the mosque and opening fire just after evening prayers, killing six people and injuring several others, including a man who was left paralyzed.
Labidi said he believes there has been a “general improvement” in attitudes toward Muslim people since the attack — despite some setbacks — and praised the federal government for its actions to fight Islamophobia, such as appointing Elghawaby.
However, he is more critical of the Quebec government, which said recently it plans to strengthen the province’s secularism laws and end prayer in public places. Premier Francois Legault said last year that he wanted to send a “very clear message to Islamists” that Quebec will fight against any disrespect of its fundamental values, including secularism.
Labidi said the community is tired of feeling targeted for votes. “At the approach of each election, there are parties who choose slogans to attract the votes of populists,” he said. “But in the long term, it’s not good for our society, and it brings division.”
Labidi says many of the families of the victims are still members of the mosque community, such as the many children the six men left behind. He said the pain of the loss has never faded, adding that all of Quebec has a “duty to remember” the tragedy.
“We have to keep it alive so that no minority community has to go through what we went through.”
In a statement Wednesday, Trudeau called for an end to hate targeting Muslims in Canada. “They were murdered because of their faith,” Trudeau said of the victims.
“We stand in solidarity with Muslim communities in Canada and around the world to fight the hate that led to this attack. We are also not immune to its resurgence, especially as we see the rise in Islamophobia and hate across our communities,” he said.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said on X the province was “shaken by a horrific tragedy” eight years ago. “In the days following the tragedy, thousands of Quebecers showed their solidarity. We must always remain vigilant against intolerance and hatred.”