SAAHCAG Welcomes Ruling Over Murders Of Afzaal Family

Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Advocacy Group (SAAHCAG) welcomed this week’s (February 22) Ontario Superior Court ruling that the killer of the Afzaal family members is an act of terrorism. Five members of the Muslim family were targeted and four were killed in a brutal act of hate carried out on June 6, 2021, in London, Ontario. 

Calling it a ‘textbook example of terrorist motive and intent’, Judge Renee Pomerance’s decision sends the unmistakable message that white supremacy, Islamophobia, and any other forms of hatred motivated by extremism will not be tolerated in Canada. 

As an organization committed to fostering inclusivity, equality, and respect for all individuals, the SAAHCAG vehemently condemns any acts of racism-driven hate crimes. “We stand with Afzaal’s family, our Muslim brothers and sisters, and all Canadian communities,” said Ally Wang, Co-founder of the SAAHCAG, “firmly against discrimination, bigotry, and violence directed towards any individual or community based on their race, ethnicity, or cultural background.”

We also share strongly what Afzaal family observed on the significance of the verdict of the Court ruling, saying in part in a moving statement:

“The terrorism designation acknowledges the hate that fueled this fire, the ugliness that took the lives of Talat, Salman, Madiha and Yumnah. But this hate didn’t exist in a vacuum. It thrived in the whispers, the prejudices, the normalized fear of the other…That hate hidden in plain sight was normalized by the unchallenged belief that a racial hierarchy exists in Canada.

“We must confront the hate, not just condemn it. Confronting hate means recognizing our own biases… dismantling the system that perpetuates it… [and] actively challenging the narratives that fuel it.”

“This trial wasn’t just about one act. It was a stark reminder of the fault lines that run deep in our society…. Hate is a societal enemy that threatens the very core of Canadian values.

Contact: 

Ivan Pak
Co-founder
Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Advocacy Group
info@saahcag.org