OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Condemnation of a Hate Crime and Call to Prayer
It is with deep sorrow, but above all with strong indignation, that I learned of the assault suffered by a young Muslim woman this past Tuesday afternoon aboard an OC Transpo bus.
Such acts, rooted in hatred and intolerance, have no place in our society. Islamophobia — like all forms of discrimination and violence — must be condemned firmly and unequivocally. Every person, regardless of origin, religion, or way of life, has the fundamental right to feel safe and respected at all times and in all places. Respect, dignity, and fraternity are owed to all.
Let us hold this young woman in our prayers, as well as the entire Muslim community. May she find peace, comfort, and healing.
In a spirit of faith and mercy, we also pray for the perpetrator of this act, that his heart may be opened to the light of truth and led toward conversion.
I call on all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall to reject hatred in all its forms and to work together to build a more just, fraternal, and united world.
Archbishop Marcel Damphousse
Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall
