Latest news with #AfzaalFamily
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
London's commemoration of Afzaal family
Hundreds gathered at a vigil Friday night in London, Ont., to commemorate four years since the brutal killing of the Afzaal family. 'It's so important for us to remember what happened, to remember this family and recommit to standing united against all forms of hatred, including Islamophobia,' said Amira Elghawaby, a Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia. The family was out for an evening walk on June 6, 2021, when they were run over by Nathaniel Veltman, who was later convicted of first-degree murder and deemed a terrorist by the courts. 'It happened because they were Muslim which is deeply, deeply painful for Canadians across the country and of course London Muslims,' said Elghawaby. Advocates expressed events like this one help bring the community together, show solidarity and respect for human rights. 'This is really a whole of society issue that all Canadians benefit from supporting and addressing,' said Elghawaby. The Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia organized the event, to ensure no other families are destroyed as a result of hate. 'We believe that silence is an enabler of hatred,' said Malik Khandakar, YCCI communications director. 'We feel the signs you give are an agreement and if you don't speak up against hatred this allows people to think it's ok.' Khandakar said more must be done to put an end to Islamophobia. 'We feel it needs a larger community because we can't just speak for ourselves. We need to have other people come out and gather. That's an important aspect of how we can move forward,' said Khandakar.
National Post
4 days ago
- National Post
Man who killed four members of Ontario Muslim family appealing convictions: doc
A court document shows a man convicted of murdering four members of a Muslim family and seriously injuring another in what the judge deemed to be an act of terrorism is appealing his convictions on three grounds. Article content A lawyer representing Nathaniel Veltman filed a new notice of appeal in February, nearly a year after Veltman filed an initial inmate notice of appeal. Article content Article content The document says Veltman is challenging his convictions and seeking a new trial on grounds that the trial judge erred in admitting the 'ideological evidence,' and in admitting his statements to police, which it says were obtained in breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Article content Veltman was sentenced in February 2024 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after he was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck on June 6, 2021, while they were out for a walk in London, Ont. Article content Article content Forty-six-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal were killed in the attack. The couple's nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived. Article content Pomerance ruled the murders, committed by a self-described white nationalist, were an act of terrorism. The case was the first time Canada's terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial. Article content
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Man who killed 4 members of Muslim family appealing convictions on 3 grounds: doc
Justice Renee Pomerance, left to right, Nathaniel Veltman, and Crown Prosecutor Kim Johnson are seen as the verdict is read in the Superior Court of Justice in Windsor, Ont., in a courtroom sketch made on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould A court document shows a man convicted of murdering four members of a Muslim family and seriously injuring another in what the judge deemed to be an act of terrorism is appealing his convictions on three grounds. A lawyer representing Nathaniel Veltman filed a new notice of appeal in February, nearly a year after Veltman filed an initial inmate notice of appeal. The document says Veltman is challenging his convictions and seeking a new trial on grounds that the trial judge erred in admitting the 'ideological evidence,' and in admitting his statements to police, which it says were obtained in breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It also argues the trial judge, Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance, erred in dismissing a defence application for mistrial. Veltman was sentenced in February 2024 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after he was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck on June 6, 2021, while they were out for a walk in London, Ont. Forty-six-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal were killed in the attack. The couple's nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived. Pomerance ruled the murders, committed by a self-described white nationalist, were an act of terrorism. The case was the first time Canada's terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025 The Canadian Press
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Community reflects on 4 years since Afzaal family killed
Londoners are marking four years since a hate-motivated truck attack killed four members of a Muslim family in the city's northwest vowing to continue fighting against Islamophobia. Dozens of people attended a walk in memory of the Afzaal family at Canterbury Park on Tuesday, a few steps away from where they were hit by a driver on June 6, 2021 at Hyde Park and South Carriage Roads. Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal facilitated reflective exercises to commemorate the victims, also known as 'Our London Family', and recognize the impact of the tragedy to ensure it doesn't repeat. "As we walk, we're going to stop at different stations and reflect on aspects of remembering Our London Family. We can never forget what transpired here four years ago, but we need to constantly be taking steps to ensure this never happens to any community," said Twakkal. Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and grandmother Talat Afzaal, 74— were intentionally struck and killed while out on an evening stroll. A young boy who was seriously injured was the sole survivor. The man who killed them is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder during a trial in Windsor, Ont., in 2023. The case served as a test of how Canada's terror laws apply to white nationalists. Since then, the community has held an annual vigil where they continue to call on politicians and law enforcement to strengthen legislation against hate-motivated crimes and better support for groups being targeted for their faith and ethnic backgrounds. 'Beyond tokenism', says Imam At Tuesday's walk, city politicians and police officers walked in unison and talked about their internal biases, and learned from the Muslim community about how Islamophobia affects their daily lives. "People don't sense what the community is experiencing when we have people who are visibly Muslim concerned on a daily basis that if the next hate-motivated crime [happens], they're going to be the victim of it," Twakkal said. "This has to move beyond tokenism. This is not simply a matter of checking off boxes to say we've done x-y-z, it's a continuous dialogue and work needs to continue." His comments come the same day a 34-year-old man was charged in connection to a hate-motivated incident after he allegedly approached a Muslim woman outside her house last week, and threatened and tried to spit on her. Last June, another possible hate-motivated attack happened at another Muslim family's home in northwest London, where their front porch was set on fire. Youth group 'grateful' for community support The fatal attack on the Afzaals also sparked a movement among Muslim youth, dedicated to political advocacy and educating the community Islamophobia and what it looks like, starting with elementary and high school students. Members of the Youth Coalition Combatting Islamophobia said the walk helped them reflect on the progress made over the years and the importance of the support they've received from allies. "We are definitely grateful for the support outside of the Muslim community, it's very helpful and inspiring. As young Muslims, we definitely appreciate that there's a broader community supporting us and it helps fuel us to do more work," said Safiyah Lawendy. "It also provides an opportunity for us to feel a bit of relief to see because the onus tends be on us for a lot of the work that's done to combat Islamophobia and seeing so many people who are not from the Muslim community come out to these events really helps us remember we're not alone in this fight," added Hooriya Ansari. Ken Drudge still remembers the shock he felt when he learned about the murders, but the incident became more personal when he found out Salman Afzaal was his mother-in-law's physiotherapist at the long-term care home she was living in. "We found out several days later that we were more closely connected than we realized," he said at Tuesday's walk. "[My mother-in-law] thought very highly of Mr. Afzaal and she was devastated when he suddenly didn't appear." Drudge said the incident motivated him take a stronger role in educating his own circle on the dangers of Islamophobia. "I try to keep mindful of what I'm doing and what I'm saying. It makes me realize the circle that I'm in is relatively benign but there are pockets in this community where there's a strong amount of hatred and we have to be watchful for it."
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Killer of London, Ont., Muslim family appeals convictions, challenging use of manifesto at trial
Warning: This story contains distressing details. A London, Ont., man convicted of killing four members of a Muslim family and severely injuring a fifth member in a hate-motivated attack on June 6, 2021, is appealing on three grounds, including that the judge should not have allowed the jury to consider his white nationalist manifesto. A Windsor jury found Nathaniel Veltman guilty in November 2023 of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Three months later, then Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance ruled his actions amounted to a "textbook case" of terrorism as defined under Canadian law. He was sentenced on Jan. 24, 2024. Friday's news of the appeal comes on the fourth anniversary of the killing of Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents — Madiha Salman, 44, an engineer, and Salman Afzaal, 46, a physiotherapist — and family matriarch Talat Afzaal, 74, a teacher and artist. The youngest family member, a boy, survived. Veltman drove his pickup truck into the family as they were taking an evening stroll on June 6, 2021. Appeal sought on 3 grounds "I appreciate that the community was horrified by this offence and the remaining members of the family were devastated by this offence. I respect that, and I feel very badly for both the family and for the community," Veltman's appeal lawyer, Stephen Whitzman, told CBC News. "Mr. Veltman, of course, has a right to exercise his full legal rights, including his right to an appeal, and it's my job as his lawyer to assist him in doing that, and I hope that everyone will understand that those two things can both exist together." The appeal is being sought on three grounds, based on court records obtained by CBC News: The judge erred in admitting the ideological evidence, including Veltman's white supremacist manifesto, titled "A White Awakening," which set out his political and racist views; The judge erred in admitting Veltman's statements to a police officer which were obtained via a "Charter breach," meaning he was not properly warned of his rights; The judge erred in refusing the defence application for a mistrial because of what Veltman's lawyer at the time called "inflammatory language" during the Crown's closing statement, including references to the crime scene and the grievous injuries suffered by the victims. Veltman's trial lasted 12 weeks. The jury heard evidence he was motivated by right-wing extremist and Islamophobic views, and he described himself as a white nationalist. He grew up in a strict Christian home and fell into a web of online hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial heard. WATCH | CBC's coverage of the judge's 2023 ruling in the Muslim attack case: Afzaal family's murder 'textbook' terrorism, judge rules 1 year ago Duration 2:21 A judge in London, Ont., ruled the actions of the man who ran down a Muslim family with his truck in 2021, killing four people, were a 'textbook example of terrorist motive and intent.' Nathaniel Veltman was already sentenced to life in prison for murdering four members of the Afzaal family. Veltman testified in his own defence and said he took magic mushrooms a day before the killing in order to escape the "hell" of his mind. The killing galvanized London and Canadian society to create laws and groups that would combat Islamophobia.
