Montreal vigil marks Quebec City mosque attack anniversary as Islamophobia persists

MONTREAL — Organizers of a vigil in Montreal to mark the ninth anniversary of a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and 19 wounded say they are speaking out about racism at a time when Islamophobia is high in Quebec.

“We’re still at risk for it to happen again,” said Jawad Kanani, a board member of Muslim Awareness Week.

A number of activities were planned as part of Muslim Awareness Week in the city, including a late afternoon vigil to mark the anniversary of the Jan. 29, 2017, attack.

The weeklong initiative was created in the aftermath of the shooting to address what organizers describe as a lack of understanding about Muslim communities. Samira Laouni, a co-founder of Muslim Awareness Week, said the annual vigil honours the victims and those injured while also standing against Islamophobia.

“We want to keep our memories alive,” Laouni said.

Kanani said the vigil comes at a time when many Muslims in Quebec continue to feel unsafe.

He said he attends a mosque in downtown Montreal where people often take extra precautions. These include organizing escorts for attendees who need to walk longer distances to their cars.

“We never know who we might encounter on the streets,” he said. “There’s definitely a polarization within our society.”

Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the Quebec City mosque attack did not occur in isolation, but followed a series of Islamophobic incidents. In the months leading up to the shooting, a pork head was left outside the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec — an act offensive to Muslim religious beliefs — and a far-right group called the Soldiers of Odin patrolled neighbourhoods with mosques in Quebec City.

“The phenomenon was trivialized publicly,” Brown said. He added that the lessons from the attack appear to be increasingly forgotten. “The discourse in today’s society, and how Muslims feel in Quebec, is remarkably similar to the context that existed before the attack.”

Brown said demand for legal support from the National Council of Canadian Muslims has increased significantly. He said the council’s legal clinic received more calls each month last year than it had in the entire year previously, with women and children making up a large proportion of those seeking help.

“I can’t tell you how many people are asking me whether there is a future for them in Quebec,” Brown said.

Laouni said she feels “rejected” as a Muslim living in Quebec today, pointing to legislation such as Bill 94, which restricts face coverings in schools, and Bill 9, which bans prayer and face coverings in public institutions.

She said the public discourse surrounding those laws has been divisive and she’s calling on Quebecers to stand in solidarity against hate.

“When one right is eroded, all rights are eroded,” she said.

Brown said he remains hopeful despite the challenges.

“Our country and our people have consistently demonstrated the ability to change perspectives and build opportunities for living together,” he said.

In October, Ensemble Montréal, the city’s new municipal administration led by Soraya Martinez Ferrada, announced new measures aimed at combating Islamophobia, stating that the Muslim community has too often been targeted by insults and prejudice that fuel mistrust and division.

The Quebec City mosque attack occurred on Jan. 29, 2017, when Alexandre Bissonnette entered the Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood during evening prayers and opened fire on worshippers.

Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were killed during the attack.

Bissonnette was originally sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for 40 years. On appeal, Quebec’s highest court reduced his parole ineligibility period to 25 years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press