The events marking the anniversary of the deadly Quebec City mosque shooting will not only pay tribute to victims and their families but also recall the acts of solidarity that followed, organizers say.
Boufeldja Benabdallah, the vice-president of the Islamic Cultural Centre, said the activities will be an occasion to "remember the families, to remember the grief, to remember the joy brought by those who came to express empathy."
"It's also to reinforce our solidarity, to ask, 'What will we do tomorrow?' Because this hate is eating away at our society."
Benabdallah and two other organizers were joined by Mayor Régis Labeaume in announcing plans for the anniversary.
The shooting left six men inside the Islamic Cultural Centre dead and several more injured, searing Jan. 29 into Quebec City's collective memory.
At a news conference announcing events to commemorate the shooting at the Quebec Mosque last year, the mosque's vice-president Boufeldja Benabdallah praised Mayor Régis Labeaume for his show of support. (Radio-Canada)
4 days of commemorative events
At the news conference, Benabdallah recalled how he and Sébastien Bouchard, who was part of the citizens group that organized a vigil the day after the shooting, met at a restaurant and drew up a plan for this year's anniversary event on a napkin.
The events begin Friday, with a discussion about Islam at the Palais Montcalm, a concert hall on Place D'Youville. There will also be an opportunity for families of the victims to gather at the mosque in an intimate setting, closed to the public, and pray together that evening.
On Saturday, Université de Laval students and staff are holding events around the theme of "living together," aimed at fostering a city and province more welcoming to diverse cultures.
Later that day, victims' families will address the public and media for the first time.
"They are still overtaken by anxiety every day, but they accepted to come and speak to the population," said Benabdallah.
On Sunday, there will be a spiritual gathering organized by First Nations and people of various religious affiliations at Expo-Cité, in Quebec's Limoilou district.
On Monday, a vigil will be held to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy.
Bouchard, who was also at the news conference, said it will be similar to the vigil held last year, near the mosque where the shooting happened.
Khadija Saïd will co-host a spiritual gathering Sunday organized by First Nations and people of various religious backgrounds. (Radio-Canada)
"It's a moment that's important for the whole population because, too often, we hear messages of hate in the public arena, whereas occasions for messages of love, of living together, are rare," Bouchard said.
Montreal to commemorate victims at City Hall
The City of Montreal announced it will also hold a ceremony to commemoriate the victims of the shooting and show solidarity with Quebec's Muslims.
It will take place at Montreal City Hall Monday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
City Hall will remain open to the public until 4 p.m., to allow people to drop off messages of support for those wounded in the attack and the families of the men killed.
Mayor Valérie Plante will be in attendance and will travel to Quebec City to participate in other memorial events, according to a news release from the city.
"It's time for meditation and solidarity with the victims' families and the whole Muslim community," Plante said in that statement.
Stay tuned for CBC's coverage of the anniversary, events and impact the mosque shooting has had one year later.
