Monday, June 6, marks a year since the fateful day when a man in a truck killed three generations of the Afzal family. The young family were simply out for an evening stroll. Their young son survived, but the hate driven attack took away the lives of his parents, sister, and grandmother in a single blow.

The Muslim community feels the impact of the heinous murders even today - the sorrow and terror of the memory remain with us.

We must not forget the beautiful lives snatched that day and we must collectively renew our intentions to fight this Islamophobic hate that plagues our community.

The Coalition of Muslim Women (CMW) vigil commemorates the victims on the first anniversary of the London attack.

We will also present a report on hate in the Waterloo region. The report has been put together with input from other racialized communities and their experiences with hate crimes, hate incidents, and discrimination. The report will also include statistics and insights from Waterloo Region Police Services hate crimes documentation.

You can register for this public event for free or by donation.

Donations are greatly appreciated and help us provide 1-1 support to victims of hate and Islamophobia. Your gift will help support victims of hate, racism, and Islamophobia. There are various ways the CMW uses your gifts.

We connect victims with services, such as Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, housing, etc. We advocate on victims' behalf with various service providers. We join victims for case meetings and help them file complaints and write letters. We provide culturally sensitive counselling. We also support resolution of neighbourhood conflicts/problems related to racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia.

You can sign up to become a monthly donor or make a one-time gift using this link.

The event will take place at the gym at Family Centre, located at 65 Hanson Ave., Kitchener, ON. Doors open at 9 a.m. after which attendees will be provided a light breakfast. Muslim community leaders and members, as well as some elected officials and local school board and other stakeholders, will be present.

For more information, contact Mifrah Abid at mifrah.abid@cmw-kw.org.