Statement on George Floyd Murder

The following statement has been released by Serena Mah on behalf of ACT@endracism and Trant Daley on behalf of Alberta Muslim Pubic Affairs

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis is unbelievably tragic. We mourn with his family and share the outrage of protesters in the United States, Canada and around the globe. People are horrified, hurt and demanding change. We stand with the global movement challenging how institutions operate and call for effective change.

This week, there has been a wave of police force in response to protests demanding justice and the dismantling of systemic racism, racial profiling and violence against Black, Indigenous peoples and all racialized people. Too many families are grieving the loss of loved ones, including most recently, the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.

Former Alberta MLA, Teresa Woo-Paw, founder of ACT2endracism stated, “There is a myth racism is something that happens over there and not here in Canada. We need systemic change to address abuse of authority with clearer guidelines on the use of force along with a review of the complaints process. We need more civilian oversight and more racial representation within police services. We must remember, to name only a few, Anthony Griffin, Jason Collins, and Josephine Pelletier, who were killed by Canadian police.”

A recent article by well-known Canadian commentator, Rex Murphy, feeds a false narrative of exempting Canada from racism. At a time when so many in our country are wounded by the events in the U.S., Murphy’s denial of systemic racism serves to silence the voices of those who experience racism as a daily factor in their lives. This is why our network, fighting against hate, grows and welcomes new allies everyday.

Trent Daley, Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council VP added, “Racial profiling absolutely exists. Black and Indigenous persons are disproportionately represented in Canada’s justice system. While white-nationalist militia actively conduct live-ammo, drills in the Albertan wilderness, Muslim-Canadian babies are being put on no-fly lists. And we cannot forget the missing and murdered Indigenous Women. To truly grow and heal, Canada must confront its racist past and acknowledge it still exists right here, today, at home. We must honour George Floyd by dismantling the systems that contributed to his murder.”