The Muslim Council of Elders, chaired by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, strongly condemns the racist attack against a Muslim woman in the Canadian city of Moncton in the presence of her seven-year-old son. The victim was subjected to racist and abusive remarks before the incident escalated into a physical assault that resulted in a concussion and a nosebleed. Preliminary investigations suggest that the attack may have been motivated by religious hatred.
The Muslim Council of Elders affirms that this attack comes amid a troubling rise in Islamophobia, hate speech, and discrimination against Muslims, all of which have contributed to an increase in attacks targeting innocent individuals. This alarming trend calls for urgent international action to confront the phenomenon, address the root causes of hatred and intolerance, promote the values of dialogue and mutual respect, and safeguard human dignity, thereby contributing to the creation of safer, more stable, and more peaceful societies.
The Council calls for all those responsible for this reprehensible attack to be held accountable and urges the adoption of effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such crimes. It also stresses the importance of strengthening legislation and policies aimed at combating hate crimes, racism, extremism, and Islamophobia, while promoting the values of citizenship, inclusion, and peaceful coexistence.