Mr. Speaker, it has been four years since we lost the Afzaal family, Madiha, Salman, Talat and Yumnah, in a horrific Islamophobic attack that left a nine-year-old orphaned and a community devastated. This was not just a hate crime; it was terrorism, driven by Islamophobia and targeted hate.
More and more, we are experiencing violent hate in Canada that breaks hearts, steals lives and impedes our collective identity. We need to do better. We remember the Afzaal family not just for how their lives ended but for how they lived, with love and with hope for a strong future.
Tomorrow, as families gather to celebrate Eid al-Adha, we are reminded that they should be here too, celebrating and surrounded by loved ones. We owe it to them, and to everyone who has ever felt unsafe because of their identity, to do better, to protect Canadians against hate. Their lives mattered; their stories matter. We will remember, and we will act.