Muslim community leaders in Canada denounce terror attacks

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Monday 23 Nov 2015 - 09:48 Makkah mean time-11-2-1437 Shaykh Faisal Abdur-Razak of the Islamic Council of Canada addressed more than 200 people gathered at The Islamic Forum of Canada in Brampton. Image from Brampton Guardian Brampton, Ontario (IINA) - Muslims in Peel Region in Southern Ontario, Canada gathered on Sunday to denounce the terrorist attacks in Paris and emphasize the fact that the extremists' actions contradict Islamic teaching, Brampton Guardian online news reported. “We feel we need to dismantle the ideology of the terrorists and the extremists,” said Shaykh Faisal Hamid Abdur-Razak of the Islamic Council of Canada (ICC), who addressed the more than 200 men and women gathered at The Islamic Forum of Canada in Brampton. “Islam should not be attached to terrorist activities and we have to find some way to do this. In the media they are described as Islamic terrorists or Islamic extremists. We don’t feel that’s fair because it demonizes the entire community. We need to take away the word Islam from the terrorists… because they are not Muslims. They are terrorists. “Terrorism has no religion.” The Islamic Forum of Canada, 200 Advance Blvd., extended an official welcome the new Members of Parliament that were part of a Liberal wave that swept into power last month. Locally, Brampton and Mississauga sent 11 grits to Parliament and were invited Sunday to take part in discussions on some pertinent issues facing Muslims across Canada and the world, including the recent Paris terror attacks that killed 129 people and Syrian refugee crisis. Community and religious leaders spoke on Sunday of the need to build bridges in the community, as well as dispel misconceptions about Islam. “There are some people that use incidents such as what took place in Paris as a reason to spread hatred about Muslims. This Islamophobia is real. Unfortunately even here in Canada, it has reached us,” said Faisal, a resident of Brampton. The Liberal Party under leader Justin Trudeau won a decisive victory in last month’s federal election. The political upheaval in Ottawa saw Canadian Muslims head to the polls en masse to vote out a government many felt promoted fear and divisiveness in favour of openness and greater dialogue. SM/IINA