UGDSB participates in The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack
January 28, 2022
* Trigger Warning: mentions of death, violence and acts of terrorism *
GUELPH, Ontario – Five years ago, an act of terror was committed at the Grand Mosque in Quebec City. Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti lost their lives that day, another 19 were injured and a community was forever changed.
Last year the Honourable Steven Guilbeault – Minister of Canadian Heritage – announced that moving forward, January 29th would be a National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack, to honour the victims and express solidarity with the survivors of this tragedy.
Despite the diversity of religion, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation present in the UGDSB community, prejudice still exists. Islamophobia is a concrete and regular occurrence that many members of our communities experience.
The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to disrupting systemic racism and oppression in all of its forms. Through mandatory and voluntary professional development, access to resources and learning opportunities and guest speakers, we are committed to naming, addressing and disrupting Islamophobia and other acts of racism.
At the UGDSB, we encourage all community members to take steps in making your environment a more inclusive one and to speak up against Islamophobia and any other forms of hatred and prejudices you may observe.
Below are a list of resources you can use in your homes or in your classrooms that address Islamophobia in ways your child/ren can understand:
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Consider using these anti-racist, anti-Islamophobia resources for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12 . These resources were created/curated by educators who are part of META (Muslim Educators of Toronto Association)
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Consider having your school participate in the Green Square Campaign (and wear a green square on your lapel), and/or use the Green Square Campaign Educator Materials
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Increase your understanding of Islamophobia by watching a PD recording by Sara Sayyed from the Muslim Society of Guelph and/or using some of the resources she shares for addressing Islamophobia in schools
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Check out more resources through the National Council of Canadian Muslims
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Use resources prepared in the Islamic Heritage Month Resource Guide including ready-to-use announcements
Categories: News Tags: Community • Diversity • Equity • Inclusion