Relatives of family killed in London, Ont., truck attack worry about more hate, call for humanity
CBC
Hina and Ali Islam don't say the name of the white nationalist who drove his large pickup truck into members of their family.
"The killer tried to divide us, to isolate Muslims, that was his intention and what I saw instead was humanity coming out. People from different colours, faiths, walks of life, hugging us, coming to support us. I wish we can take that momentum and continue it forward," said Hina Islam, whose niece Madiha Salman, 44, was one of four people killed when the driver steered toward a Muslim family on June 6, 2021 in London, Ont.
Also killed that day was Madiha's husband, Salman Afzaal, 47, the couple's daughter, Yumnah, 15, and Salman's mother, Talat Afzaal, 74. The couple's son, a nine-year-old boy, was seriously injured and survived.
Nathaniel Veltman, 22, was found guilty last week of four counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
In an interview with CBC's Adrienne Arsenault, the Islams spoke about the difficult two-month trial and the long road since the attack in 2021, when community members and politicians came together to decry hate and Islamophobia.
They hope that the hate they sometimes see growing around them today isn't indicative of the future.
"There's a lot of work that needs to be done, because hate in society still continues to exist," said Hina Islam.
Surviving family members have always wanted to keep the Afzaal's son, who survived, out of the public eye, but say that prayers and expressions of support from across the country have been instrumental in his recovery.
"He has a very good network of care," Ali Islam said. "He's happy and healthy and doing what an 11-year-old should be doing."
Of all the families in London, the killer happened to find a group of people that embodied humility and decency, he added. "You could not beat them for niceness. The self-sacrifice, the way they take care of everyone around that. That is really a part of their legacy."
Watch the interview with Ali and Hina Islam on Nov. 22 on The National at 9 p.m. ET on CBC News Network and 10 p.m. local time on your CBC television station. You can also catch The National online on CBC Gem.
At a sentencing date yet to be set, a judge will determine whether his crime — the planned and deliberate murders of a Muslim family, out for an evening walk that day and targetted because of the traditional Pakistani clothing the women were wearing — amounted to terrorism.
"For me, the terrorism label will bring some measure of security to many minority communities," said Ali Islam. "When I was growing up, I was taught that a terrorist was a brown man wearing a turban yelling in a strange language with a machine gun. This will make a difference to bring security."
It might, he hopes, make someone think twice next time they think about attacking a minority group, whether it's a Muslim family, an LGBTQ parade or a cultural festival.
When Stephanie Gamble watched her mother model the first dress she made, smiling wide and walking an imaginary runway, she knew that was what she wanted to keep doing in her life.
'Tis the season for cuddling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching holiday movies. And for people in B.C.'s Interior, that can increasingly mean seeing their home communities on display.
Every year, snowy owls spread their wings and migrate down to the Prairies, where they enjoy access to plenty of rodent prey in vast open spaces.
This month has been a busy stretch at the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.
N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland says she has received the final report from an independent investigation into education bodies in the Dehcho region.
P.E.I.’s auditor general says he’s concerned and disappointed that the projected deficit has doubled what government initially estimated it would be — and he's urging the province to balance its budget.
A man found not criminally responsible for stabbing five people to death at a Calgary house party is getting more freedoms but not an absolute discharge.
A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Toronto mother outside a supervised consumption site in Leslieville.
Russian olive trees — sometimes known as silver berry or oleaster — are small, ornamental plants with silvery leaves and black bark, and small yellow flowers and silver fruit that look like miniature olives. They’re pretty, but they’re a problem.
The Yukon Legislative Assembly’s fall sitting ended on Thursday after the territorial government introduced and passed a supplementary budget.
A Canadian military counter-intelligence operative, who stands accused of passing sensitive information to Ukraine, was involved in an investigation into allegations that a leading Canadian defence journalist was a longtime Russian asset.
An Alberta panel aimed at finding ways the province can strengthen its autonomy has offered up seven recommendations, including options for referendum topics.
People won't be able to travel along B.C.'s Highway 3 without significant delays and detours over the holiday season, says the Ministry of Transportation.