Alexandre Bissonnette faces six charges of first-degree murder in the attack on a Quebec city mosque on January 29, 2017. (Mathieu Belanger/The Canadian Press/pool)

Parents of the accused in mosque attack speak out

“We have also lost a son,” say the parents of Alexandre Bissonnette in a letter obtained by the public broadcaster, Radio-Canada. In March, Bissonnette will face six charges of first-degree murder in the shooting attack on a Quebec City mosque on January 29, 2017.

During evening prayer, a gunman walked in and opened fire. Six men between 39 and 60 years old died and several others were injured, one of whom is now a quadriplegic.

Attack was ‘inexcusable…inexplicable,’ say parents

In the letter, Manon Marchand and Raymond Bissonnette say what happened that day is “inexcusable” and “completely inexplicable…So many lives were needlessly destroyed.” They go on to say they love and support their son and he will always be part of the family.

The letter also reveals they have received serious threats and that they live with the curtains drawn and an alarm system on. Police have intervened, but they say they live in fear. They have also received letters of support over the past few months.

Bissonnette’s parents have sent letters of condolence to the families of the victims. They say they waited to go public until after the services commemorating the attack out of respect for the families.

People place flowers at a mosque during a vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, in Quebec City, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Support and vandalism

The attack has elicited some turmoil in the province of Quebec. Immediately afterward it, there were several rallies of support for the victims and for the Muslim community in several cities. There have also been threats and vandalism against mosques and property belonging to members of the community.

Most recently, the prime minister was criticized for calling members of a right-wing, anti-immigrant group “bozos” and for saying it at gathering in Quebec City this week to commemorate the attack.

Some Muslim leaders have called on politicians to name an official day against Islamophobia. Pundits says the issue is so sensitive, that politicians won’t even use the word.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting in Quebec City, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A little bit of background

At the same time, politicians are trying to reconcile a desire for inclusiveness with a long-held fear that Quebec will lose its French culture as it is surrounded by English in most of the rest of Canada and the United States. There was discussion around a proposed Charter of Values in 2013 and how far society should go to accommodate minority groups.

This is further complicated by Quebec’s rejection of the hold the Catholic religion had on society previous to the 1960s. The Quebec government has passed a law to promote secularism which includes forbidding anyone from wearing a face-covering while giving or receiving government services.

This is seen by some as an egregious intrusion into the lives of the few Muslim women who wear face coverings in Quebec.

A popular online comedian has poked fun at the law in an animation depicting a bank teller refusing to hand over cash to robbers because their faces are covered.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.