Canada shows the world what solidarity with Muslims should look like

posted on: Feb 5, 2017

At funeral for Quebec mosque attack victims, Trudeau says all of Canada shaken by ‘brutal and hateful’ attack https://t.co/0P76uNsMgL pic.twitter.com/UfxT2tibHH

— The Canadian Press (@CdnPress) February 2, 2017

By Jason Lemon
Stepfeed

Canadians have just shown the world what solidarity with Muslims looks like in a big way.

Thousands of Canadians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec politicians, paid their respects on Thursday to three of the six men killed by a white supremacist terrorist while they prayed in a mosque in Quebec City on Sunday.

Trudeau’s speech focused on solidarity between Canadians in the face of the vicious attack.

“Our country was united,” Trudeau said, according to Al Jazeera. “It is an entire country that is joining the families of the victims.”

“Together, we will rise from this darkness stronger, more unified, than ever before,” he said.

A look at the crowd, waiting inside Maurice Richard arena for families of 3 victims and dignitaries to arrive pic.twitter.com/i9DZMU6KPy

— catherine solyom (@csolyom) February 2, 2017

Unity and solidarity was the message promoted by all those who eulogized the victims.

“I want to tell Muslim Quebecers: you’re at home here, we are all Quebecers,” Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said, according to the Montreal Gazette.

“We feel your pain, we share your pain. When one of us suffers, we all do,” he said.

“Through death, these brave men … united people from different nationalities, colours, genders and religions,” Chayma BenHaj, who presided over the funeral, said. “They united all of Canada.”

The service was specifically for Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane and Aboubaker Thabti. A separate service will be held on Friday for the other three victims of the terrorist attack.

Canadians will not be broken by this violence. Our spirit & unity will only strengthen – we will mourn, and we will heal, together. pic.twitter.com/TVdFrbuHpq

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 30, 2017

Trudeau’s approach to the attack contrasts greatly with that of Canada’s southern neighbor, the US.

Under the new administration of President Donald Trump, US policy has taken a strong position against Muslims. With Trump’s ban against refugees and immigrants from several Muslim majority countries, the new administration has positioned itself against the Muslim community.

Trump also plans to ignore the rising threat of white supremacists, anti-government fanatics and Christian fundamentalists, choosing to only target “Islamic extremists.” This decision comes despite the fact that these other extremist groups were responsible for more American deaths than self-proclaimed jihadists between the end of 2001 and mid 2015.

The white terrorist who attacked the Quebec mosque, 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, had previously expressed support for Trump and other far right leaders in Europe.

Trump reportedly called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following the attack to express his condolences, but he has not commented publicly.