Justin Trudeau calls killing of a Muslim family a “terrorist attack”

Canada PM Justin Trudeau has labelled the killing of a Muslim family a “terrorist attack” carried out with Islamophobic intentions.

Four members of a Muslim family were run down by a man driving a pick-up truck at an intersection in the city of London in Canada’s central Ontario province. They were struck down as they walked together along a sidewalk. The husband and wife and their teenage daughter with her grandmother were killed after a man driving a pick-up truck rammed into them, mounting the curb. The driver of the truck was arrested.

On Tuesday, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has labelled the killings as a “terrorist attack” with Islamophobic intentions in a speech at the House of Commons. Trudeau said, “These killings were no accident. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities.”

The victims were identified as, Madiha Salman, the wife, age 44, and her husband, Salman Afzaal age 46. Yumna Salman was their 15-year-old daughter, as well as Afzaal’s mother, age 74. The family is of Pakistani origin.

The driver was arrested shortly after the attack.  He has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Muslim Association of Canada has asked the authorities to “prosecute this horrific attack as an act of hate and terrorism.”

Party leaders of the House of Commons have condemned the violence as an attack of Islamophobia.

The family is survived by the couple’s 9-year-old son who is recovering in the hospital. Trudeau also made a comment on the boy’s health. “We all hope the little boy can recovers quickly, even though we know he’ll live a long time with the sadness, incomprehension and anger,” he had said.

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