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Regent Park TV News: Regent Park Vigil Held In Solidarity with the First Nations and Muslims Communities
By Dawar Naeem
(Dawar is a volunteer journalist with FOCUS Media Arts Centre)
On the evening of June 7th, 2021, the Regent Park community held a vigil in the big park. It was estimated that over two hundred people attended the event.
The vigil, which was organized by Mothers of Peace and hosted by Sureya Ibrahim, was held in memory of 215 children found buried on the Kamloops Residential School and the London, Ontario murder of members of the Afzaal family including Salman Afzall, his wife Madiha Afzaal, Yumna Afzaal - their 15-year daughter and Mr. Afzaal's mother. Their 9-year old son, Fayez Afzaal was also seriously injured. The Afzaal family, was brutally run over by a truck on June 6, 2021, as they walked a pedestrian path in London, Ontario.
At the vigil the attack was widely condemned as an act of terrorism, hate and Islamophobia. Several members of the Muslim community that spoke, expressed their concerns for their family’s safety. For many residents of Regent Park, the attack was a stark reminder that Islamophobia is alive and well and that Muslims families across Canada are at risk. The vigil also provided a space for allies, community members and political representatives to share their grief and express their solidarity with Muslim and First Nation communities. Many of the speakers called upon the government to immediately address all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with the urgent need to address on-line hate speech and to stop media negative stereotyping of Muslim communities.
Following are the names of the speakers:
Brianna Olson Pitawankwat (Co-founder Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction and Native Arts Society)
Kristyn Wong Tam (Toronto City Councillor for ward 13, Toronto Centre)
Marci Ien (Liberal Member of Parliament, Toronto Centre)
Ahmed Hussen (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Canada)
Suze Morrison (Ontario Provincial Parliament, Toronto Centre)
Mitzie Hunter (Ontario Provincial Parliament, Toronto Centre)
PC.Farzad Ghotbi (Toronto Police Service, 51 Division)
SGT. Henry Dyck (Toronto Police Service, 51 Division)
PC. Mustafa Popalzi (Toronto Police Service, 51 Division)
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FOCUS Media Arts Centre (FOCUS) is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1990 to counter negative media stereotypes of low income communities and provide relevant information to residents living in the Regent Park area and surrounding communities.
We seek to empower marginalized individuals and under represented communities to have a voice, through the use of professional training, mentorships and participatory based media practices that enable the sharing of stories, experiences and perspectives on relevant matters and issues. In brief our mandate is to empower marginalized individuals and under-serviced communities to have a voice and tell their own stories.
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