On Saturday June 12, Salman Afzaal (46), his wife Madiha (44), their daughter Yumna (15) and Salman’s 74-year-old mother, Talat Afzaal will be laid to rest in London, Ontario, Canada. On Sunday June 6, the family was out for their regular evening walk, dressed as always in salwar kameez, when a 20-year-old white male, later identified as Nathaniel Veltman, mowed them down with his truck and drove away. The Salman Family were killed and their youngest, nine-year-old Fayez, is the only survivor currently in hospital being treated for massive injuries.

The attack is a “premeditated hate crime against muslims”, said reports quoting London Police. The accused, now under arrest hasbeen charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. 

Canadaian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called this a “terrorist attack” and recently visited the community and said, “To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable – and it must stop.”

London city in southwestern Ontario is stated to have a close knit Muslim population, many who migrated from Pakistan. According to news reports, Canada’s The House of Commons had also observed a moment of silence for the victims. Trudeau added that Islamophobic attacks are happening in Canada and that the nation must “not become desensitized to this violence. We must not accept this as normal. Every time we witness such hate, we must call it out.”

To those who knew the Afzaal family, to the son who survived, to Muslims in London and in communities across Canada, to everyone who feels sad or angry or afraid: You are not alone. Canadians across the country are mourning with you and standing with you – tonight, and always. pic.twitter.com/MqMj1kKeTC

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 9, 2021

While thousands continue to lay flowers and pay homage at the scene of the hate crime and elsewhere, the community of London, Ontario has also shown the world how to respond to communal hate crime. Across religious beliefs, community leaders have reached out to the residents, and grieved the murder of the much loved family that had migrated to Canada from Pakistan, and had roots in pre-Partition India. Salman Afzaa a physiotherapist, Madiha Salman (44) who was close to obtain her PhD at Western University in Civil engineering; daughter Yumna Salman, who on graduation from the local islamic school had pained an inspirational mural, and was now finishing grade 9 at Oakridge Secondary School and the much loved matriarch of the family have become symbols of love and charity and united a diverse community in the wake of their passing.

One of the most visible symbols of that is a Gofundme fundraiser started by a close family friend and neighbour Sana Yasir. However, what stands out is that the donations collected will only be used for “sadaqa-jariya” on behalf of the Salman family. Speaking to SabrangIndia over the phone from Canada, Sana Yasir said that sadaqa-jariya is an Islamic concept that will benefit others in this life, and also the family in the next life. 

Sana Yasir told SabrangIndia, that while the community is grieving deeply they are not afraid. No one is hiding their Muslim identity or way of dress. “I wear a hijab, and though I do get the odd stare now and then I have never felt any threats. This was the first time we witnessed such Islamophobia here,” she says. Salman Afzaal and his family often wore Salwar Kameez and the older women draped a dupatta on their head. They walked around the neighbourhood most evenings spending some family time together and also greeting the neighbours. “Aunty Madiha would take my sister to school and her son. She brought us food when my mother was unwell. There is not one person who will have anything negative to say about the family. They were such good people, and such a big part of the community and the university,” said Sana, a student of the same university as the couple. “We live down the street… They were family friends, and my little sister is heartbroken at the loss of her close friend Yumna who had texted her a day before the horror,” she said.

The donations have been coming in waves from across the world, and if the pace keeps may even touch a million dollars. According to Sana, the London Muslim Mosque, and Islamic Relief  are supporting the fundraiser along with the London muslim community. Fayez, the sole survivor, is said to be in a stable condition in hospital and has his aunt and uncle with him. “Fayez has a very strong support system-his immediate family, extended family, and the London community,” said Sana. 

While the community, and the family and friends of the victims are being brave there is no denying that the cold blodded murder of the Salman family is yet another reminder of Islamophobia now rampant across the world Including India.

However, the response from the Canadian administration and London Police Chief Steve Williams was quoted as saying, “We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community, and in particular the Muslim community, in any community targeted by hate. I want to reassure all Londoners that all of us on the call today and many others stand with you and support you. There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence.”

According to CNN, Trudeau said before the House of Commons, “This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack motivated by hatred in the heart of one in our community.” Earlier detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London Police had said, “There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim.”

According to CTV new the accused Nathaniel Veltman, 20, who faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, appeared via video link. The courtroom was closed to the public and a publication ban has been put in place on the proceedings. Meanwhile, the London Muslim Mosque, which the family belonged to, has called for a national summit on Islamophobia between all levels of government stated the news report.

Image courtesy: Sana Yasir

Related:

Being Muslim in the Workplace: A report by Parcham Collective
Swiss Vote for Burqa Ban and Its Reaction among Indian Muslims
Supersizing victimhood: Hindu Right’s appropriation of Islamophobia, the Jewish Holocaust & Indigenous struggles
How much green of the National Flag should be shown on TV?

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The terror attack in Pulwama (J&K) which killed more than 30 CRPF personnel is a grim reminder of the fact that these ‘friendly’ Pakistan is not dealing with terrorism seriously.
 
The Pakistan based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed the responsibility of this suicide attack. On both the sides of the border, there are people who do not wish peace and love between the two nations even when it is a known fact that a majority of the people in India and Pakistan want peace and a good relationship with each other. No organisation can carry such blasts unless they have powerful support from the establishment.
 
Narendra Modi’s government has completely failed in bringing peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. It tried to play with Kashmir and use the situation there to validate itself to the rest of the country. There is no political initiative in the state. Today, it is run directly under the Central government and yet, the situation is tense and uncontrolled.
 
As India go for polls in the coming days, we might face more efforts from those who want India to be in a perpetual crisis. We know a failed government will communalise it at all levels as they want the elections to be fought on the binaries of Hindu Muslim rhetoric. Their PR agencies are already working overtime to create riots in college campuses and this dastardly attack will also be used as a tool.
 
The security forces are doing a tough job in Kashmir. The government has created a situation where the work of our Jawans, who live far away from their families, have become not only physically challenging but mentally disturbing. Those who shout slogans in their paid headquarters must know that fighting a never-ending battle creates a lot of distress. It becomes more difficult if you have alienated the majority of the local people.
 
The answer to terrorist organisations like the Jaish lies in our combined strength and determination to stay together and resolve all our issues democratically. Jargon and chest thumping do not work on the battlefield. The fact of the matter is that Kashmir for Pakistan is their unfinished task to justify a two-nation theory. India’s respective governments failed in respecting the sentiments of the Kashmiri people and continued to play with their sentiments and taking advantage of it for their nationalistic agenda. The ground situation worsened as the economy crashed where the political system was a farce and armed forces were present all the time.
 
In the last five years, the attempt to isolate Kashmiris and term each one of them as anti-national, deliberately provoking and challenging them even when they might have been raising their genuine demands have finally backfired. Today, the Kashmiri youth is isolated and the Islamic Jihadis in Pakistan want to use them and convert the entire battle to be fought between Muslims and non-Muslims.
 
The Sangh Parivar and its various offshoots have only helped aggravate the situation and given ammunition to these radicals on the other side of the border to create a narrative that Muslims can’t get any justice in India. You cannot build bridges with people after lynching them, challenging their loyalty to the nation and denying them justice.
 
Pakistan’s ruling apparatus has definitely been instrumental in such a ghastly crime and the Imran Khan led government will have to show some spine to take these terror organisations head-on. There cannot be a compromise on such issues that threaten the local people and sandwich them between terrorists and security forces.
 
This is a sad day. These Jawans who serve our nation are actually sons of our Kisans, the farmers. Most of them come from difficult backgrounds and look for a better life. It is time for the government to strengthen political discourse in the valley, bring normalcy there and take a tough stand against Pakistan.
 
If a terror organisation is openly taking up responsibility then it needs to be dealt with seriousness. Irresponsible talks and show of masculinity to make political devotees happy will only boomerang. We know the street rabble-rousers will find it useful to build their anti-Muslim narrative which might suit their political interest but will be detrimental for the nation.
 
The answer lies in winning Kashmir with a big heart, more decentralisation, more democratisation, allowing political parties and civil society to flourish and rule through people and not via the agents of the Delhi Sarkar. The government needs to investigate the issue seriously and take appropriate measures but don’t treat the Kashmir issue as purely an administrative one. Speak to diverse sections of people, bring them to the negotiation table and only then the terrorists and their promoters can be isolated and destroyed.
 
We condemn these killings of Jawans and express our deep condolences to the families of these martyrs who dedicated their lives for our safety and security. It is also time to think of better and democratic strategies to bring normalcy in the valley so that army and paramilitary forces can crush any cross-border attempt to create unrest in the valley.
 
Using paramilitary and the army for domestic purposes as administrative bodies acting as the local police, actually makes the work of these organisations difficult and tense. The jawans hail from different regions and find it tough to deal with these situations which need local help. That is only possible if you understand local sentiments and respect the cultural values. 
 
Therefore, it is essential that the government leaves its obsession of handling J&K from Delhi and central forces and encourage local leadership in handling this. Let the government create an environment now so that political process takes centre stage and our forces focus on ensuring our borders safety so that such gruesome and dastardly attacks are not repeated and innocent lives are not lost.
 

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The attack on the consulate by three members of the Balochistan Liberation Army, a militant nationalist group seeking what it terms self-determination for the troubled, resource-rich, sparsely populated Pakistani province that constitutes the heartland of China’s US$45 billion investment and the crown jewel of its infrastructure and energy generation-driven Belt and Road initiative.

The attack, together with an unrelated suicide bombing by unidentified militants that killed 26 people and wounded 55 others in a market in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, comes at an awkward moment for Mr. Khan.

With Pakistan teetering on the edge of a financial crisis, Mr. Khan has been seeking financial aid from friendly countries like China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as a bailout from the IMF.

Responding to widespread criticism of Chinese investment terms that go beyond Baloch grievances, Mr. Khan is seeking to renegotiate the Chinese terms as well as the priorities of what both countries have dubbed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that will link the crucial Baloch port of Gwadar with China’s troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the scene of a brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims.

Mr. Khan last month bought some relief by attending Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s showcase investors conference in Riyadh, dubbed Davos in the Desert, that was being shunned by numerous CEOs of Western financial institutions, tech entrepreneurs and media moguls as well as senior Western government officials because of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In talks with King Salman and the crown prince, Saudi Arabia promised to deposit US$3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank as balance of payments support and to defer up to US$3 billion in payments for oil imports for a year. The kingdom this week deposited US$1 billion in Pakistan’s central bank as Mr. Khan was visiting the UAE.

However, Mr. Khan’s visit to Beijing earlier this month was less conclusive. Despite lofty words and the signing of a raft of agreements, Mr. Khan’s visit failed to produce any immediate cash relief with China insisting that more talks were needed.

China signalled its irritation at Mr. Khan’s declared intention to pressure China to change the emphasis of CPEC by sending only its transportation minister to receive the prime minister upon his arrival.

Amid criticism of CPEC by Baloch activists who charge that the province’s local population has no stake in the project and members of the business community who chafe at China importing materials needed for projects from China rather than purchasing them locally and largely employing Chinese rather than Pakistani nationals, Mr. Khan only elicited vague promises for his demand that the focus of CPEC on issues such as job creation, manufacturing and agriculture be fast forwarded.

China’s refusal to immediately bail Pakistan out has forced Mr. Khan to turn to the IMF for help. The IMF, backed by the United States, has set tough conditions for a bailout, including complete disclosure of Chinese financial support.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in July that any potential IMF bailout should not provide funds to pay off Chinese lenders. US Pakistani relations dived this week with President Donald J. Trump and Mr. Khan trading barbs on Twitter.

The attack on the consulate coupled with Saudi Arabia’s financial support is likely to fuel long-standing Chinese concerns that Pakistan has yet to get a grip on political violence in the country. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to the attack that China had asked Pakistan to step up security. Pakistan has a 15,000-man force dedicated to protecting Chinese nationals and assets.

China also fears that Balochistan could become a launching pad for potential US-Saudi efforts to destabilize Iran by stirring unrest among the Islamic republic’s ethnic minorities.

The attack together with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bombing not only signals a recent spike in political violence in Pakistan but also comes against the backdrop of increased incidents involving Iran’s Kurdish, Iranian Arab and Baloch minorities.

Earlier this month, Pakistan said it had rescued five of 12 abducted Iranian border guards, saying efforts to recover the other captives are ongoing. An anti-Iran Sunni Muslim militant organization, Jaish al-Adl or Army of Justice, kidnapped the guards a month ago in the south-eastern Iranian border city of Mirjaveh and took them to the Pakistani side of the porous frontier between the two countries.

The attack on the consulate as well as the bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are likely to increase pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog, and its Asian counterpart, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) to strengthen Pakistani compliance with international best practices.

An APG delegation expressed its dissatisfaction with Pakistani compliance in October and said it would report its findings to FATF by the end of this month. FATF put Pakistan on a grey list in February, a prelude to blacklisting if the country fails to clean up its act. Blacklisting could potentially derail Pakistan’s request for IMF assistance.

In sum, this week’s attacks put Pakistan between a rock and a hard place. Countering militancy has proven difficult, if not impossible, given the deep-seated links between government, political parties and militants, a web that includes Mr. Khan and many of his associates.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast. James is the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog, a book with the same title and a co-authored volume, Comparative Political Transitions between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa as well as Shifting Sands, Essays on Sports and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa and just published China and the Middle East: Venturing into the Maelstrom

Courtesy: https://countercurrents.org/
 

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We as citizens have to intervene in this situation and mourn the death of those civilians who unexpectedly became collateral damage and also take a firm stand against politcal violence no matter who the perpetrator. Kashmiris in the valley have been caught in a vortex of violence and it is not too long back that we saw all those disturbing images of young people carrying pellet wounds over their bodies. All lives matter and dead bodies should not become part of a politcs that divides people on the basis of religion. The seven dead did not deserve to die and it is only when we stand up and demand an end to this politics of hatred that we can prevent the deaths of innocents going on a pilgrimage or returning from Eid shopping.

Not In My name campaign gives a call to gather at Jantar Mantar and stand in vigil against hate and in grief with the families of those killed. Please carry posters of  #Notinmyname and solidarity with families of those killed. We stand against hatred and our posters too should reflect our stand. We call upon all citizens to ensure peace and resist any call to violence. #Notinmyname

Date – Tuesday, 11 July, 2017
Venue- Jantar Mantar
Time- 7:00PM

Khudai Khidmatgar strongly condemn the brutal killing of “Amarnath Yaatrees”, We are organising solidarity meet and candle vigil to condemn the shameful Terrorist attack on the yatrees and will pray for the peaceful Yatra and well being of Yatrees…
We request your participation or your representatives to do the coverage of the event.

The candle vigil will be held at Babe-Mahmoodul Hasan Gate no-17, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi.
Date: 11 July 2017@ 06:30 PM
Contact:
Rizwan khan-9990473885
Sahil Ahmad- 9808068062
Javed Malik 8512892342
Ehtasham Hashmi 9891010736
 
 

The post #AmarnathTerror Attack – Candle Vigils in Delhi today by Khudai Khidmatgar and #NotInMyName appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A young woman sits on the ground as police guard the area following the explosion at a Manchester concert. EPA

While there is no confirmation as yet this was a terrorist-inspired incident, police suspect the Manchester attack, which has so far killed 22 people and injured 59 others, was caused either by a bomb contained in an abandoned backpack, or was the work of a suicide bomber.

At this stage no group has claimed responsibility. But it is not being overlooked that last week Islamic State released a 44-minute video in which fighters of different nationalities urged their supporters back home to carry out acts of violence.
Among those featured was a British man.

What makes Islamic State more dangerous – even desperate – in the current climate is that it finds itself under enormous pressure in its strongholds in Iraq and in Syria. Its grip on the northern Iraqi city of Mosul is slipping, and it is under threat in its Syrian redoubt of Raqqa.

It is important not to jump to conclusions about the identity of those responsible. However, whatever judgements might be made about the carnage at a Manchester music hall, this latest bombing underscores the vulnerability of European cities to such acts of violence.

Underscoring the deep-seated shock this will be causing in Britain is that this is the worst terrorism-related episode since the 2005 public transport bombings in London in which 52 people died.

Since 2015, more than half-a-dozen terrorist attacks have been carried out in various European locations, including France, Germany, Belgium and Britain, and in the case of several of these countries there have been multiple incidents.

What the governments of Europe have on their hands are threats to personal security that can strike at any time and in any place, as various terrorist incidents in the past year or so have demonstrated.

This poses an enormous challenge to security agencies, including the police, and, in the case of Britain, MI5, the spy agency responsible for internal security.

Such random acts of terrorism are enormously difficult, if not impossible, to counter unless open societies are subjected to security measures that most citizens would find difficult to accept.

If it proves to be the case the Manchester bombing was carried out by a sole suicide bomber, or a bomb-laden backpack placed strategically, this would underscore difficulties in policing a musical event in which large numbers of people gather in a specific location.

While France has been the main victim of a wave of terrorism in the past several years, Britain is running second.

In the most recent incident prior to the Manchester bombing, the driver of a vehicle mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then shot a policeman outside the Houses of Parliament.

The concert hall attack in Manchester recalls a similar episode in Paris at a the Bataclan concert hall in November 2015 when shootings caused multiple deaths.

Islamic State claimed responsibility on that occasion.

What is adding to political complexities of the Manchester bombing is that it comes in the middle of a British election campaign in which immigration and Britain’s withdrawal from Europe are central questions.

How this will play out in the next days and weeks is difficult to assess, but as a rule of thumb such incidents would be more likely to benefit the parties of the right than the left.

On the other hand, governments in power and therefore responsible for security inevitably face awkward questions about levels of preparedness for such terrorist incidents, if indeed that is what we are talking about in the case of the Manchester bombing.
Terrorist violence is now baked into the European landscape. It is hard to see an end to this.

* Note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest information on fatalities.

Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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