Statement on Terror Attack in Quebec City

The Department of Gender Studies at Queen’s University condemns the horrific terror attack that killed six Muslim men in Quebec City on Sunday and offers our condolences to the loved ones of those who perished. We understand these murders as an effect of the rise of state-authorized Islamophobia in Canada and elsewhere. That individuals feel emboldened to act on their hate is not accidental: headscarf bans and perpetual war in the Middle East sanction such violence. As we stand in solidarity with Muslim communities in Quebec City, in Kingston, and beyond, we reaffirm our commitment to challenging Islamophobia wherever it appears. We are inspired by the global resistance to the white supremacist policies of the Trump administration, but we recognize that we must also hold our home governments and institutions accountable. Reassuring international and refugee students and other migrants that they are welcomed and supported is a beginning, but denouncing ethnonationalism in all its forms and working doggedly to overturn it is essential. Our commitment to such intellectual and political labour is unwavering.