Muslims believe that giving out free food is highly rewardable act. Allah says in the Qur’an:
{Let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe from fear.} (Quraish 106: 3-4)
In the first anniversary of the murder of Mohamed-Aslim Zafis, members of a Toronto mosque have launched a food drive to honor the mosque caretaker’s memory.
In the months and weeks before his death, 58-year-old Zafis was supporting those in need by handing out food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
📚 Read Also: Muslims Dedicate Food Hamper Fundraiser to Murdered Mosque Caretaker
“Today, we are here to talk about a legacy and it is a legacy that we all need to live up to,” Mustafa Farooq, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said at a news conference on Sunday, CBC reported.
“He was a man who insisted on bringing good to others.”
Zafis was sitting outside the front doors, controlling the access to the building to comply with public health measures, when the suspect approached and stabbed him once on September 12, 2020.
“I will personally never forget the flashing sirens, the confusion, the terror of violence so close to home, the loss of a man I had just started getting to know,” Farooq said.
“Today, we are here because we will not allow hate to win.”
Stop Hate
Farooq urged all residents of Greater Toronto Area to honor the life of Zafis by donating food items on Sunday and Monday. The food will be used to feed people across Canada.
“That means to do what he did when he was killed to try to make the lives of others better,” he said.
Bebi Zafis, the daughter of Zafis, said she misses him every day.
“He was the father that I always had and I will never have him again. He was dearly missed by everyone that been there for him, loved him and looked out for him,” she said.
Zafis said the killing has left her traumatized, fearing to go to mosque or wear a hijab.
“I’m afraid to go to mosque, to wear a hijab, to go out there. I’m not the next victim but sometimes I feel I am,” she said.
“I just want the hate crimes to stop.”
Muslims have been facing rising concerns about Islamophobic attacks in provinces across Canada amid widespread calls for authorities to tackle racism, hate-motivated violence, and the prevalence of far-right groups.
A Muslim man from Saskatoon was stabbed in the back several times as had his beard cut in June when he went out for an early morning walk.
Another hate crime against a Muslim family in London, Ontario, in June left six members of one family dead.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the killings a “terrorist attack” and vowed to clamp down on far-right groups and online hate.