On the evening of January 29, 2017, a person entered the Islamic Cultural Centre in Québec City and killed six people and injured 19 others. This act of terror has forever altered the lives of the victims’ families and friends, the survivors, and of Muslim communities across Canada. More than that, it was a clear attempt to frighten Muslims in a safe and peaceful sanctuary and fray the fabric of society.  

Since 2021, January 29 has been observed as a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia.   

Islamophobia includes fear, prejudice and hatred directed towards Muslims. It can spark provocation, foster hostility and breed intolerance in the form of online and offline threats, harassment, abuse and intimidation towards Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Driven by institutional, ideological, political and religious animosity that can evolve into structural and cultural racism, Islamophobia targets the symbols and followers of Islam. 

In Canada, there are about 1.8 million Muslims, representing 4% of the population. From 2016 to 2021, Canada was the G7 country with the highest number of Muslims killed in hate-motivated targeted attacks.  

The attack on the Islamic Cultural Centre in Québec City serves as a stark reminder that ignorance is a plague that fuels fear, which all too often turns into hatred. Indifference to Islamophobia can be equally reprehensible because it tolerates the isolation, marginalization and othering of people from minority groups. Education is the key.  

The Green Square Campaign 

PSAC encourages its members to support the National Council of Canadian Muslims’ Green Square Campaign. The green square represents the green carpets of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Québec City on which the victims last knelt in prayer. It symbolizes the hope that the deceased are now at peace in a green garden.   

In the week leading up to January 29, wear the green square in memory of the victims and in solidarity with the survivors, their families and friends, and Canada’s Muslim communities. In addition, request that your local monuments and landmarks, like city halls and bridges, be lit in green.  

The Green Square Campaign is a call to action for all Canadians to stand in solidarity with Canadian Muslims in their fight for a society free of hatred and Islamophobia, well beyond January 29. 

To get involved and learn more, visit: NCCM – National Council of Canadian Muslims | Green Square Campaign  

In remembrance of 
Abdelkrim Hassane 
Aboubaker Thabti 
Azzedine Soufiane 
Ibrahima Barry 
Mamadou Tanou Barry 
Khaled Belkacemi