Our London Family Act
We prevent hate crimes in Canada by engaging with policymakers, educating the public, and providing legal support.
Our London Family
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Mural painted by Yumnah Afzaal, one of the victims killed in the terrorist attack on the #OurLondonFamily
The Our London Family Act
A devastating act of Islamophobic violence occurred in London, Ontario on June 6th, 2021, when four members of the Afzaal family were tragically killed during an evening walk near the London Muslim Mosque, Ontario’s oldest mosque. Nathaniel Veltman, 20, used his truck to target and kill Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her mother Madiha Salman, 44, an engineer, her grandmother Talat Afzaal, 74, a teacher and artist, and her father Salman Afzaal, 46, a physiotherapist. The family’s 9 year old son was injured but survived. This brutal hate-motivated terrorist attack which shocked our society, was a stark reminder of the pervasive issue of Islamophobia in Ontario and across Canada.
The Importance of the Our London Family Act
In response to the London attack, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) proposed the Our London Family Act, a legislative initiative aimed at implementing comprehensive reforms to combat Islamophobia. This Act is critical because it seeks to address the systemic issues contributing to anti-Muslim hate through education, enhanced human rights protections, and increased support for victims. The Act emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of inclusivity and safety for all Ontarians, including those from Muslim communities. Its passage would mark a significant step toward addressing the root causes of Islamophobia and preventing future acts of violence and discrimination.
NCCM’s Objectives Related to the Act
The NCCM’s objectives concerning the Our London Family Act are multifaceted and aim to create a safer, more inclusive society:
- Educational Reforms: The NCCM advocates for the development of an anti-Islamophobia strategy in public schools, including the integration of anti-racism and anti-Islamophobia education into school curricula to foster understanding and counteract harmful stereotypes.
- Strengthening Human Rights Protections: The Act proposes enhancing policies and regulations to protect Muslim individuals and communities from hate crimes and discrimination.
- Support for Victims: Establishing dedicated resources and support systems for victims of Islamophobia, including counseling and legal assistance.
- Coordinated Policy Change: Engaging with government officials and policymakers to ensure the development of a dedicated province-wide anti-Islamophobia strategy that would include the enactment, implementation, and enforcement of measures that effectively combat systemic Islamophobia in ways that complement the province’s Anti-Racism Strategy.
NCCM HAS SUCCESSFULLY PUSHED FOR:
- All parties in Ontario to commit in principle to passing the major components of the Our London Family Act.
- The bill to be tabled – pending review at committee.
- Engagement with all parties to push the Bill or its parts into action.
Pictured at the trial of #OurLondonFamily attacker, Nathaniel Veltman
IMPACT STATS
Bill 86
The Our London Family Act, a multifaceted approach in combatting Islamophobia in all of its forms was tabled by the ONDP and supported by all major parties.
$20,000
Although the Our London Family Act is yet to pass in its entirety, the Ontario government has heard community calls to increase security funding for institutions, including Mosques and Muslim schools to up to $20,000 in the Anti-Hate and Security Protection Grant
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A SNAPSHOT | OUR WORK
July 2021 - The NCCM Released a
Package of 61 Recommendations to
Combat Violent and Systemic Forms
of Islamophobia
Package of 61 Recommendations to
Combat Violent and Systemic Forms
of Islamophobia
The NCCM released a package of 61 recommendations to combat violent and systemic forms of Islamophobia. Nineteen (19) of the recommendations are focused on actions that can be taken by provincial governments. https://www.nccm.ca/islamophobiasummit/
July 2021 - The National Action Summit
on Islamophobia is Held Virtually
on July 22, 2021.
on Islamophobia is Held Virtually
on July 22, 2021.
July 22, 2021
The National Action Summit on Islamophobia is held virtually on July 22, 2021.
February 2022 - The Our London Family
Act is Developed in Collaboration
with the NCCM
Act is Developed in Collaboration
with the NCCM
The Our London Family Act is developed in collaboration with the NCCM and introduced in the Ontario legislature as Bill 86 by the NDP. Responding to advocacy by the NCCM and others, the PC government fast-tracks the Bill to committee study. However, the Bill dies on the order paper after an election is called.
April 2022 - London Muslim Community
Leaders Joined by the NCCM Call for a
Commitment From all Parties to Pass
the Act Within 100 Days
Leaders Joined by the NCCM Call for a
Commitment From all Parties to Pass
the Act Within 100 Days
London Muslim community leaders joined by the NCCM call for a commitment from all parties to pass the Act within 100 days after the provincial election.
June 2023 - The Second Anniversary of
the London Terror Attack is Marked by
Renewed Calls to Advance the Our
London Family Act
the London Terror Attack is Marked by
Renewed Calls to Advance the Our
London Family Act
The second anniversary of the London terror attack is marked by renewed calls by Muslim leaders from across the province for the advancement of the Our London Family Act and increased measures to combat Islamophobia in public schools through the development of a dedicated anti-Islamophobia strategy. While some major individual school boards like the Peel District School Board, the Toronto District School Board, and the Thames Valley District School Board adopt new anti-Islamophobia strategies in collaboration with the NCCM and other partners, the province does not enshrine a mandate to do so in law.
February 2024 - Justice Renée
Pomerance Ruled Veltman's Crimes
Constituted a Textbook Case of Terrorism
Pomerance Ruled Veltman's Crimes
Constituted a Textbook Case of Terrorism
Justice Renée Pomerance ruled Veltman’s crimes constituted a textbook case of terrorism and sentenced him to five life sentences with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Some 68 victim impact statements were made at sentencing, including by the NCCM.
May 2024 - The Keffiyeh Scarf is Banned
From Being Worn in the Ontario Legislature
From Being Worn in the Ontario Legislature
The keffiyeh scarf is banned from being worn in the Ontario legislature by the Speaker of the House Ted Arnott in April. Independent MPP Sarah Jama defies the ban and is named and expelled from the chamber along with NDP MPPs Krysten Wong-Tam and Joel Harden. After the advocacy of NCCM and others that results in rare agreement by the leaders of all the major parties to express public opposition to the ban, the restrictions are mostly lifted so that the keffiyeh can be worn anywhere in the legislature again, except in the Chamber.
June 2024 - The Third Anniversary of the
London Terror Attack is Marked by
Continued Calls for the Passage of
the Our London Family Act
London Terror Attack is Marked by
Continued Calls for the Passage of
the Our London Family Act
The third anniversary of the London terror attack is marked by continued calls for the passage of the Our London Family Act and increased measures to combat anti-Palestinian racism along with Islamophobia while protecting civil liberties. Muslim community leaders from across the province as well as some NDP MPPs and political staff wear keffiyehs in the legislature and meet with the Premier and leaders of all the major parties.
June 2024 - Islamophobic as Well as
Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric and Narratives
Spread by Some Elected Officials Surge
Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric and Narratives
Spread by Some Elected Officials Surge
Islamophobic as well as anti-Palestinian rhetoric and narratives spread by some elected officials surge after October 2023 and the crisis in Gaza and continue into 2024 highlighting the continued need for the Our London Family Act.
February 2025 - Major Party Platforms
Include a Commitment to a Version of
the Our London Family Act or Anti-
Islamophobia Legislation
Include a Commitment to a Version of
the Our London Family Act or Anti-
Islamophobia Legislation
The Ontario Liberal Party and the Ontario New Democratic Party commit to the expedited passage of the Our London Family Act within their party platforms.
ISLAMOPHOBIC INCIDENTS CONTINUE TO RISE
Help us pass the Our London Family Act in Ontario.
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