Moved by hope and optimism, a Canadian Muslim leader has announced that the lone survivor of the hate attack that killed four members of a London Muslim family is recovering and got back to online school classes.
Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal was hurt in the hit-and-run incident in northwest London that killed four members of his family on June 6, as the family were out walking in their neighborhood.
The attack killed Fayez’s father, 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, a physiotherapist; his mother Mediha Salman, 44, who was completing her PhD in engineering at Western University; his sister, 15-year-old Yumna; and his grandmother, 74-year-old Talat Afzaal.
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The boy is now “recovering with his family,” said Aarji Anwer, imam at the London Muslim Mosque, The London Free Press reported.
“There’s no long-term side effect to his health, and we are very happy about that,” Anwer said. “We are very pleased with his recovery and we’re amazed by his determination.”
Saboor Khan, a longtime friend of the Afzaal family, shared a similarly optimistic outlook about Fayez’s physical recovery.
“It’s been amazing observing how he’s recovering,” he said. “He’s becoming more and more independent. He’s not bedridden as he was initially and that recovery continues.”
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Mature Kid
Mosque leader said the Grade 3 pupil at the mosque’s London Islamic School has shown maturity, especially with outpouring support and love from his extended family.
“His maturity is beyond his years,” he said.
“He understands that he has to be strong. You need time to heal from this (but) he has a quite extensive family and that’s been a key part of it all.”
Along with support from Fayez extended family, the whole community, either Muslim or non-Muslims, shared their love and support for the young kid.
To collect messages of hope, Islamic Relief Canada created its Letters of Hope for Fayez Afzaal initiative, allowing members of the community to share messages of hope and support to the young boy.
Two fundraisers created for Fayez have raised more than $2 million.