Honourable senators, today I rise to remember the Afzaal family whose lives were brutally cut short by a terrorist attack in London, Ontario, four years ago. On that day — June 6 — three generations of a family were lost, with only the nine-year-old son surviving. And the terrorist’s only motivation was his hate for Muslims.

The Muslim community was very badly wounded by this tragedy. At the time, there was an outpouring of grief and condolences from all over Canada. We all described the killing as horrific. The country mourned with us.

But that wasn’t the end of the Islamophobic attacks; they continue to this day. Just this year, in March, Elshimaa Abdelhafiz, a mother of three, walked into the library to study. There, in the middle of a public space in broad daylight, she was met with hate. A stranger, screaming abuse, poured liquid on her head and tried to set her on fire.

Her young daughters asked, “Why would someone want to hurt our mother because of what she wears on her head?” Today, I ask every Canadian: Please do not see the hijab as a threat. The hijab should not be seen as a provocation. Some Muslim women choose to wear it, and it is within their rights to do so.

This is not just one isolated incident that I speak of. In recent weeks, someone tried to set fire to a Muslim family’s home. Cars were vandalized in the parking lot of a mosque. Such attacks have become commonplace.

Honourable senators, Muslim lives and pain are non-negotiable. Hate-fuelled attacks like this must be met with relentless protection and uncompromising prosecution. Islamophobia is not a matter that affects only one community; it concerns all of us because it runs counter to the principles of respect, fairness and inclusion that define our country.

In the face of fear, Elshimaa chose to focus on the strangers who stepped in to help and who showed her compassion and courage. These strangers remind us of who we are as Canadians. We are compassionate and courageous people, and Islamophobia strikes at the heart of our shared Canadian values. It is a test of our resolve.

Today, honourable senators, I stand up and speak against Islamophobia and all forms of religion-based hate. I urge you and every Canadian to do the same. Let us be remembered in this chamber not for silence but for courage. Thank you.