The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) is outraged by the terrorist hate crime committed against the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre that killed six people and injured eight. We condemn this despicable act, and applaud Canadian Law Enforcement Agencies for their quick response in capturing the suspected perpetrator.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased, Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre Muslim community, and Quebec City in this difficult time. We are saddened by the frequency of these crimes. Just in the past month, three Mosques were burned down here in the United States; one in Victoria, Texas (under investigation), another in Austin, Texas (under investigation), and yet another in Bellevue, Washington (a confirmed arson).
Since 2015 over 128 Mosques have been attacked and dozens of Muslims have been killed in hate crimes, alleged or confirmed. The FBI reported an increase in hate crimes against Muslims by 67% in 2015.
We therefore urge Law Enforcement to take swift actions in responding to these attacks, and proactive measures to help protect their countries’ citizens. We encourage our leaders and others in positions of public responsibility to stand in solidarity with their Muslim communities, and send a clear message that such intimidation or hate crimes against any innocent communities in the United States and Canada will not be tolerated. We invite all our fellow Americans to share empathy, kindness, and good will with others, especially those in the most difficult circumstances. And we urge our fellow Muslims to further strengthen their bonds and involvement with community law enforcement nationwide, which has already benefited so much from our active support.