 |
| The Prime Minister of Canada was silenced in the House of Commons in solidarity with the incident. Photo: AP |
The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has called the death of four members of a Muslim family a terrorist attack that was crushed by a man under a truck.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Canadian prime minister said the killing was not an accident, it was a terrorist attack, the result of hatred in the hearts of one of our communities, according to AFP.
The 20-year-old, who was arrested shortly after the attack, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder, while several Muslim community leaders have called on the courts to declare the incident a terrorist act.
Related News: Canada Truck Attack Killed 4 Pakistani Family Members
Officials have already said that Sunday evening’s incident in London, in the Canadian province of Ontario, was the result of “hate”.
Canadian Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair called the attack a “terrible act of Islamophobia.”
“I believe the family was targeted because of their faith, and this attack appears to be the result of the attacker’s hatred of Muslims,” he said.
According to police, the attack took place when members of a family were walking on the sidewalk together when they were about to cross the road when a black pick-up truck crushed them.
‘Targeted for being a Muslim’
According to Mayor Ed Holder of London, Ontario, the four victims represent three generations of the same family.
Four of the five died on the spot, while one child was injured and is being treated in hospital.
“We all hope that the young boy will recover from his injuries soon, although we know that it will take us a long time to recover from the damage, grief and emotion caused by this cowardly Islamophobic attack,” he said.
The Muslim Association of Canada has called on the authorities to take action against this horrific attack.
Detective Superintendent Paul Weight said the suspect was identified as Nathaniel Weltman, who was armed and was arrested at a mall 7km from the scene.
The incident is reminiscent of January 2017 shooting at a mosque in Quebec City that killed six people, while an April 2018 car crash killed at least 10 people.
Justin Trudeau said that all of them were targeted because of their Muslim faith. This is happening in Canada and it must be stopped.
