A Canadian Muslim has started a new website to tackle Islamophobia by telling everyday stories, giving Muslims, allies, and those interested in standing up for Muslim communities an opportunity to participate in outreach.
“New digital platform, Islamophobia.io creates “instant” change against Islamophobia. The platform is public, and gives Muslims, allies, and those interested in standing up for Muslim communities, an opportunity to participate in outreach,” @studentAsim, founder of Islamophobia.io, wrote on Iqra.ca.
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Asim said the digital archival project is designed for outreach centered around Muslim stories and allies who have stories about Muslims and those who want to stand up for Muslim communities.
“I wanted to create an instant way to make change against Islamophobia and to foster understanding. Something people could easily do — and not make it exclusive, or just for some people — but make it inclusive, and for anyone who cares to come and make a difference,” he wrote.
“Anyone can participate. Muslims, people of other faiths, and those who want to stand up and do the right thing. The platform is an invitation for the public to come and easily access these digital stories, and to learn from them, and even participate themselves by “doing something about it”, and writing their own stories in support.”
Quebec Massacre Anniversary
A few days ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Quebec mosque massacre, Asim invited people to participate in a time-sensitive letter writing campaign that stands in solidarity with the victims.
“The act of letter writing is Action Against Islamophobia. By sharing sentiments, your letters will create living memories of the victims, and help the public realize the magnitude of Islamophobia,” he added.
Five years ago, a Canadian gunman opened fire at a Quebec City mosque on the evening of January 29, 2017.
The victims were Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti, who were killed shortly after finishing evening prayers.
Alexandre Bissonnette, the man responsible for the Quebec City mosque shooting, received a life in prison sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Last year, the city of Quebec unveiled a memorial for the mosque victims, serving as a symbol to human resilience and unity.
In January 2020, Afghan Canadian director Ariel Nasr released The Mosque: A Community’s Struggle, a documentary on those affected by the tragic terrorist attack on Quebec mosque.