Pakistan mosque blast must not be normalized, Windsor community leaders urge
Following a suicide bomb blast that killed more than 100 people in a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar, community leaders in Windsor-Essex are reminding people these attacks are rare and should not be dismissed as a byproduct of living in that part of the world.
Police have made several arrests but are still investigating how exactly a suicide bomber reached the mosque which sits inside a highly-fortified compound.
Officials say worshippers were praying when the bomber set off his explosives vest, killing more than 100 people and injuring at least 225 others.
Rescuers have spent the last few days recovering bodies and removing mounds of debris from a collapsed roof. The attack is the deadliest Peshawar has seen in a decade.
"Anytime attacks of this nature happen, there's always shock, extreme sadness and confusion ... and because this has happened in a mosque, it takes it to that next level," said Widad Mezahi of the Windsor Islamic Association.
The association operates out of the Windsor Mosque on Northwood Street. On any given week, hundreds of people pass through its doors to pray — and many have family ties to Pakistan.
Mezahi said she has seen how Windsor's Pakistani and Muslim communities are mourning the losses of those killed in Peshawar.
But she worries people outside of those communities who are not directly affected may dismiss the attack as something that is commonplace for the region.
"A lot of people bring up the issue of race in that sometimes people with darker skin color just don't get the same amount of empathy or sympathy," said Mezahi, referring to the public's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"Other times people say, 'that kind of stuff happens all the time over there,' which is not true."
Mezahi added many people within the Muslim community feel that whenever chaos erupts in a Muslim-majority country, it fails to capture headlines and people's attention in the way that other world conflicts have done.
"It is something that we need to think about within ourselves,” she said. “Why haven't we paid as much attention to other regions of the world? Why haven't we given as much care and attention to parts of the world where this has happened?"
Others such as Mohsin Naqvi, secretary general for the group Pakistan Canada Association Windsor, agree.
Mohsin Naqvi, secretary general for Pakistan Canada Association Windsor, says Monday's suicide bombing in Peshawar 'should have sent shockwaves around the world.' Pictured in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 2, 2023. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)
He said Windsor is home to many families with direct ties to Peshawar who have been struggling to make contact back home.
Many people, Naqvi added, may not realize Pakistan has been a relatively peaceful country for the past six years and has been a longtime ally of the West.
"A blast of this magnitude should have sent shockwaves around the world," said Naqvi, adding people tend to pay more attention to events in NATO countries.
"This can happen anywhere in the world and we should be prepared to support all efforts to eradicate it."
Naqvi is calling for the Canadian government to "play their role" in supporting Pakistan's government and military by supporting them in the global fight against terrorism.
"Ask your elected member of Parliament in Ottawa how to support the Pakistani government in eradicating terrorism because, in the end, Canada will be the beneficiary of a peaceful world," he said.
"And please have sympathy for the families because they are collateral damage that comes with the blast. Keep them in your prayers."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.