Remembering the Afzaal Family on the 5th Anniversary of Their Brutal and Senseless Murder.
This Saturday, June 6, marks the fifth anniversary of the senseless killing of three generations of the Afzaal family by a white terrorist in London, Ontario, in 2021. The innocent lives lost on that fateful day while they were out for an evening walk included Yumnah Afzaal (15), her parents, Madiha Salman (44) and Salman Afzaal (46), and her grandmother, Talat Afzaal (74). The attack left the youngest member of the Afzaal family, a 9-year-old boy, orphaned that day.
Nathaniel Veltman, 23, a white supremacist, was convicted on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. This ruling was the first in Canada to establish a direct link between white supremacy and terrorism in a murder case.
As the community prepares to mark the occasion with a citizens’ march in London on June 6, Muslim leaders in the city acknowledge that more work is needed to combat hate nearly five years after this devastating incident.
“It’s been a challenging five years,” said Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal. He emphasized that it’s not just about remembering the day itself but also about the essential actions we must take as a nation to address the issues stemming from that dark day five years ago.
Hate, he warned, has found a fertile breeding ground among us. Members of the Muslim community in London face daily racism and discrimination, as well as online vitriol against their community. Continuous efforts are necessary to uproot all forms of racism and discrimination from our communities.
The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) is marking the occasion with a new report urging Ottawa to take stronger action against anti-Muslim hate. The group is also requesting $40 million in federal funding to protect mosques and Muslim schools, which they argue is proportionate to funding recently allocated for Jewish institutions.
Regarding the planned march on June 6, Imam Twakkal hopes this anniversary will serve as a moment of reflection for the community, prompting individuals to examine their implicit biases and consider how they, as Londoners, can support those facing bullying and overt racism in their city.
“I always say that the root causes of any form of racism and discrimination are two things: ignorance and arrogance,” he stated.
“When we come together this weekend to commemorate what happened five years ago, it is crucial to engage in these sometimes difficult but necessary conversations.”
Residents of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who wish to honor the memory of the Afzaal family are encouraged to mark their calendars. The march is scheduled for this Saturday, with a ceremony at Hyde Park and South Carriage Road at 6:30 p.m., followed by a march to Oakridge Secondary School, which Yumnah Afzaal attended.
Selma Tobah, a board member of the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia, is among those organizing what she describes as a symbolic event.
City authorities advise that London may experience road closures, detours, and traffic delays in the area on the day of the march; drivers are encouraged to plan accordingly, allow extra travel time, and use alternative routes to avoid delays.
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