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Multiple dead, 2 arrested after shooting at Quebec City mosque


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Multiple dead, 2 arrested after shooting at Quebec City mosque

'Quebec categorically reject this barbaric violence,' says Premier Philippe Couillard

Sun Jan 29, 2017 - CBC News

Quebec City Police say several people are dead after shots were fired inside a Quebec City mosque on Sunday night during evening prayers.

Multiple people are also feared wounded. Their condition is not known at this time.

A few dozen people were inside the Islamic cultural centre of Quebec in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood when the shooting began just after 8 p.m.

Quebec City Police Constable Étienne Doyon said mostly men were gathered at the mosque for evening prayers.

The director of the centre said at least five people were killed, but that information has not been confirmed by police.

Two suspects have been arrested, one of whom was apprehended after a chase that ended near l'île d'Orléans.

A large perimeter has been set up around the mosque.

'A Quebecois accent'

A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada that two masked individuals entered the mosque.

"It seemed to me that they had a Quebecois accent. They started to fire, and as they shot they yelled, 'Allahu akbar!' The bullets hit people that were praying. People who were praying lost their lives. A bullet passed right over my head," said the witness.

"There were even kids. There was even a three-year-old who was with his father."

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said in a tweet that the province is mobilizing to assure the safety of Quebec City residents.

He added that "Quebec categorically rejects this barbaric violence" and offered solidarity with the families of victims and wounded.

Last June, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a pig's head was left on the doorstep of the mosque.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the shooting a "cowardly attack" and said Canadians were grieving for the victims.

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4 hours ago, RussD said:

 

RCT, Radical Christian Terrorists.  Or maybe just an isolated outbreak of the Trump Hate virus. 

I don't know why you would assume they were Christian. The majority of people killed by muslim terrorists are other muslims and they did shout 'Allahu akbar!'  Maybe they are Christian or non-muslim but it's not a given.

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Update naming the suspects:

6 dead in shooting at Quebec City mosque, 2 men arrested

Police say the men are in their late 20s or early 30s, Radio-Canada sources ID the 2

CBC News Posted: Jan 29, 2017 9:25 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 30, 2017 10:13 AM ET

Quebec City police said they are working with the RCMP and the Quebec provincial police following the shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and eight wounded.

Quebec City police said they are working with the RCMP and the Quebec provincial police following the shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and eight wounded. (Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)

Updated

  • 6 people dead, 5 in critical condition following shooting
  • 2 men arrested, police investigating possibility they are students at local university

The two men arrested following the deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque Sunday night have been identified as Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohamed Khadir, Radio-Canada has learned.

Sources told CBC's French-language service the identities of the two men on Monday morning.

Six men died in the shooting during evening prayers at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (Islamic cultural centre of Quebec). Nineteen people were also wounded.

Police refuse to reveal any information about the men other than the fact they are in their late 20s or early 30s.

Police also said it's too early to know the motive, what charges may be laid or when they will appear in court.

Premier Philippe Couillard has described the shooting as a "murderous act directed at a specific community."

Quebec provincial police Sgt. Christine Coulombe said the men who were killed ranged in age from 35 to 70. 

Five people remained in critical condition in hospital, including three who are in intensive care, on Monday morning. Another 13 people have been released, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Thirty-nine people escaped the mosque without injuries.

An act of terrorism

While police aren't yet calling this an act of terrorism, Couillard said the shooting should be treated as such.

"It's a murderous act directed at a specific community," he said at a news conference.

"I think the majority of citizens, not just in Quebec but elsewhere, would describe it that way."

Couillard also shared a message of solidarity with Quebec's Muslim community. 

"We are with you. You are at home. And you are welcome at home," he said. 

 
 
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Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard speaks to Muslim community0:17

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a "terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge."

"Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country," said Trudeau in a statement.

Attack on the ground floor

Police say prayers were underway at the mosque when the shooting began just before 8 p.m.

Men were praying on the ground floor of the building, while women and children were upstairs. Some of the wounded were in critical condition.

Quebec City Police deployed 2,000 officers once they realized the magnitude of the event, said Insp. Denis Turcotte.

Police patrolled the perimeter near the mosque after the shooting. (Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)

By 10:40 p.m., police said the situation was under control. 

"The building is secure and the occupants evacuated. The investigation continues," tweeted Quebec City police, who are working with the RCMP and provincial police.

A few dozen people were inside the Islamic cultural centre of Quebec in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood when the shooting began just after 8 p.m. (Canadian Press)

Connection to Laval University?

One of the two men was arrested not far from the scene of the shooting, while the other was arrested near l'île d'Orléans, five kilometres from downtown Quebec City, following a police chase of the SUV he was driving.  

Radio-Canada reported a gun was found inside the SUV.

A source close to the investigation told Radio-Canada police are investigating whether the two men attended Laval University, also in Quebec City.

Executive vice rector Éric Bauce would not confirm the link between the school and the assailants, saying police have not informed them of any connection.

Police say patrols have been stepped up at the university as well as at mosques in Quebec City and elsewhere in Quebec.

Police have erected perimeters and road blocks in other areas of Quebec City as part of their investigation. A search is also underway at a home in Sainte-Foy.

'A Québécois accent'

A witness who asked to remain anonymous told Radio-Canada that two masked individuals entered the mosque. 

"It seemed to me that they had a Québécois accent. They started to fire, and as they shot, they yelled, 'Allahu akbar!' The bullets hit people that were praying. People who were praying lost their lives. A bullet passed right over my head.

"There were even kids. There was even a three-year-old who was with his father," the witness said. 

People outside the mosque paid their respects. Martin St. Louis holds a sign that reads, 'La paix non la guerre,' which means 'peace, not war.' (Francis Vachon/Canadian Press)

Call for solidarity with Muslims

Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume fought back tears, saying the city is in mourning. 

"To the Muslim community, our neighbours, our co-citizens, who count on our support and solidarity, I want to say, 'We love you,'" said Labeaume. 

According to Quebec City police, the shooting began just before 8 p.m. ET.

Politicians around the world also denounced the deadly act.

A message on the Facebook page of the mosque's administration said: "Thank you for the hundreds of compassionate messages coming from everywhere."

Vigils across the province have been planned for the coming days.

Quebec City police said two men were arrested. A police chase of an SUV ended with the arrest of one of the men.

The Islamic cultural centre of Quebec was previously the target of vandals.  

Last June, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a pig's head was left on its doorstep.

Authorities are asking anyone with information into Sunday's attack to contact Quebec provincial police at 1-800-659-4264.

Police say they have received 46 calls on the line so far.

With files from Radio-Canada
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So it ends up as one guy arrested, a 27 year old with the classic background for the lone wolf

1. 27 year old male, looks like the type who can't get a date

2. Socially awkward and isolated

3. Bullied constantly as a teen

4. Posting on social media as anti-Muslim and anti-feminist.

5. Radicalized by hearing a Marine La Pen speech in Quebec last year.

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, dagger said:

So it ends up as one guy arrested, a 27 year old with the classic background for the lone wolf

1. 27 year old male, looks like the type who can't get a date

2. Socially awkward and isolated

3. Bullied constantly as a teen

4. Posting on social media as anti-Muslim and anti-feminist.

5. Radicalized by hearing a Marine La Pen speech in Quebec last year.

This was not a terrorist attack. Hence, no terrorist related charges during the remand hearing.

This was, just was the horrific attack against l'Ecole Polytechnique" those so many years ago, a hate crime.

The difference? The trigger.

NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT TRUMP. His campaign has advocated racism, hatred and anarchy since the beginning. "What's good for The Donald, is good for America!"

You voted for him. Many more of you did not vote at all.

 

Bienvenue a l'horreur....

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1 hour ago, Moon The Loon said:

This was not a terrorist attack. Hence, no terrorist related charges during the remand hearing.

This was, just was the horrific attack against l'Ecole Polytechnique" those so many years ago, a hate crime.

The difference? The trigger.

NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT TRUMP. His campaign has advocated racism, hatred and anarchy since the beginning. "What's good for The Donald, is good for America!"

You voted for him. Many more of you did not vote at all.

 

Bienvenue a l'horreur....

Definitely a hate crime, but RCMP may lay terrorism charges as well because it appears to fit the Criminal Code description.

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10 hours ago, dagger said:

Definitely a hate crime, but RCMP may lay terrorism charges as well because it appears to fit the Criminal Code description.

No, terrorism charges will be laid because it fits so nicely into the leftist narrative.

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9 hours ago, CanadaEH said:

Can we just call him a murderer and/or a murderer committing a hate crime and move on with it? 

What, and waste such a good opportunity?  Of course terrorism charges will be laid, assuming that they can make then fit any way possible but first they need to tell us another 118 times about the pig's head on the steps.

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Global look at Quebec:

January 31, 2017 2:56 pm

Updated: January 31, 2017 3:01 pm http://globalnews.ca/news/3216525/quebec-city-shooting-is-islamophobia-more-manifested-in-quebec/

Quebec City shooting: Is Islamophobia ‘more manifested’ in Quebec?

By Monique Scotti National Online Journalist, Politics  Global News

“Every society has to live with its demons,” said Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard as he faced reporters at the province’s National Assembly on Tuesday — less than 48 hours after six men were shot dead inside a local mosque.

“Our society is not perfect. No society is.”

His words were part of a broader effort this week to push back against those who would suggest that Quebec suffers from a particularly virulent case of xenophobia — one that has been allowed to fester and ultimately resulted in Sunday’s night’s massacre.

READ MORE: Hate crimes spike in Montreal after Quebec City mosque shooting

The premier has argued the outpouring of support from Quebecers and large vigils organized following the tragedy attest to the tolerance and acceptance in his province. He has also admitted that hatred of Muslims exists.

Barbara Perry, a professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology who tracks right-wing extremist groups, agrees with Couillard that no society is perfect.

But while Islamophobia and xenophobia are hardly unique to Quebec, she said, it’s also fair to suggest that they have found particularly fertile ground in the province.

“Much of the news that we get, and the research that we did around right-wing extremism, seemed to find that Quebec was quite a hotbed,” Perry said.

A longstanding commitment to preserving Quebec’s Francophone culture and a strongly-held belief in the separation of church and state (and how much religious beliefs should be accommodated) could both play a role, she added.

Quebecers are then subject to the same perceptions, stereotypes and media coverage that affects the rest of Canadians.

The “distinct blend of xenophobia” that has arisen in Quebec is quite similar to that seen in France, said Perry, “and it really does target, much more directly I think, Islam.”

“I think there really are layers and layers, and maybe additional layers relative to Quebec.”

Samer Majzoub, the president of the Canadian Muslim Forum, said Islamophobia is perhaps “more manifested” and “demonstrated” in Quebec than in other regions, but it’s a problem across Canada.

“People are talking about it more (in Quebec),” he explained, choosing his words carefully.

Meanwhile, many Muslim groups in Quebec say they have watched tensions increase for years. Some have argued that political debates surrounding identity and religious accommodation have contributed to a culture of intolerance.

Back in 2010, for instance, the provincial Liberals proposed banning face veils (including the niqab or burqa) among those giving and receiving government services. That never became law, but the debate was far from over.

Three years later, the Parti Quebecois introduced its so-called Charter of Values, which argued for a complete ban of any overt religious symbol – including a Muslim veil or scarf – on any public sector employee.

“The rational (former premier Pauline Marois) provided for the Charter of Values was to minimize the role or the visibility of religion, but of course the focus was really on one religion,” said Perry.

Quebec’s politicians have not been pulling their proposals out of thin air. While Quebecers soundly rejected the PQ’s charter, public support for the Liberal bill in 2010 stood at 95 per cent.

Similar legislation is now winding its way through the Assembly.

The degree to which the province’s residents remained wary of Muslim veiling was also laid bare during the federal election campaign in late 2015. When NDP leader Tom Mulcair came out against a Conservative proposal to ban the niqab at citizenship ceremonies, the party’s numbers in Quebec tanked.

Beyond this, general public perception of Islam and its adherents remains far from rosy.

A poll conducted late last year by Forum Research showed that nearly half of Quebecers (48 per cent) retain an unfavourable view of the religion, compared to between 18 and 28 per cent in all other regions of Canada.

Patrols and Pegida

Meanwhile, a number of far-right groups continue to find a home in Quebec.

A first Canadian chapter of the overtly anti-Islamic group Pegida popped up there back in 2015, and was immediately greeted by public backlash.

La Meute (The Wolf Pack), a Quebec-based group that aims to counter what it perceives to be the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism in the province, fared much better. It counted 43,000 members on its private Facebook page as of December and continues to grow, rapidly becoming the most visible face of the far-right in the region.

Similar groups like Justiciers du peuple have also gained a foothold.

Others have taken their beliefs out of cyberspace and into the real world. The neo-fascist Atalante Québec recruits via posters plastered around Quebec City. The Soldiers of Odin, a collective founded in Finland, ‘patrols’ the streets to prevent what it calls immigrant crime.

READ MORE: Hate crimes against Muslim-Canadians more than doubled in 3 years

According to a recent CBC report, the group has attracted 400 members in Quebec (plus 3,100 elsewhere in Canada) and maintains an active, visible presence in Quebec City.

Almost all of these groups have now publicly condemned the violent attack on the mosque, but Perry said officials should be wary of extremists coming out of the woodwork in the wake of the shooting.

“We have seen incidents before … where there is an emboldening, or (an attack) inspires similar kinds of incidents. So that’s a very strong possibility,” she cautioned.

“I don’t think that the rest of the provinces, in spite of the very different politics and very different context, should rest in complacency. I think we need to be vigilant elsewhere.”

 

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14 hours ago, seeker said:

No, terrorism charges will be laid because it fits so nicely into the leftist narrative.

OK, i don't get what your point is.  That 'lefty' Obama refused to use the label 'Radical Islamic Terrrorists' and was eviscerated by the right for not calling the crimes committed by wackos on the 'infidel' as religious based terrorism.  For the record I agree with Obama,,, more of that when I have more time. in this case case a wacko, not of the targeted victims belief,  slaughters innocent civilians in their chosen place of worship ostensibly because of their belief and one would assume to illicit fear and 'terror' amonst like minded folks.  So my question is do you support the position Obama took or is this somehow different? 

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On 2017-01-30 at 2:51 AM, seeker said:

I don't know why you would assume they were Christian. The majority of people killed by muslim terrorists are other muslims and they did shout 'Allahu akbar!'  Maybe they are Christian or non-muslim but it's not a given.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/quebec-mosque-shooting-fox-news-removes-tweet-after-trudeau-complaint/ar-AAmtu0l?li=AAadgLE&ocid=spartandhp

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I don't think Webster is much help; a terrorist is one who commits terrorism and terrorism is the act of terrorizing.  Somewhat circular.

Wikipedia has much more to say and rather than attempting to summarize I'll post a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_terrorism

The short answer is that it's difficult or impossible to accurately define terrorism in a way that is both all-inclusive and unambiguous.  To me the definition hinges on whether or not there is some attempt being made to achieve some "cause" or political end.  A mentally deranged person who shoots up a church, mosque or nightclub doesn't count as a terrorist, IMO, but, of course, you could argue that mentally deranged or not they are trying to achieve some cause.

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12 hours ago, RussD said:

OK, i don't get what your point is.  That 'lefty' Obama refused to use the label 'Radical Islamic Terrrorists' and was eviscerated by the right for not calling the crimes committed by wackos on the 'infidel' as religious based terrorism.  For the record I agree with Obama,,, more of that when I have more time. in this case case a wacko, not of the targeted victims belief,  slaughters innocent civilians in their chosen place of worship ostensibly because of their belief and one would assume to illicit fear and 'terror' amonst like minded folks.  So my question is do you support the position Obama took or is this somehow different? 

What?

So you're saying that you agree with Obama's stance that ongoing, organized, funded groups killing other specific groups of people shouldn't be considered terrorism but a single act by a lone individual should?  I must be misreading and/or misunderstanding what you are saying.

Of course I don't agree with Obama's position.  ISIS/ISIL is clearly terrorist activity - no doubt.  The guy in Quebec City - not terrorist, IMO, but I do understand that some definitions might include it.

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I suppose it would all depend on his intent.

Was his intent to inflict Terror on the population or was it simply to strike out at a specific group and kill as many as he could.

In order to terrorize a poulation at large one would need to do something that encompasses a broader spectrum of the general population.  Car bombs are a good example because they do not discriminate.  That would be an act of terror.

In this case it was a specific small group of people and segregated from the public eye.  This IMHO is a hate crime.  It may well have been spawned from other acts of terror that triggered him to act but the basic act was to inflict pain and suffering on a specific group.

I would stick to hate crime and not terrorist act.

 

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I sure wished the media would stop referring to anyone with a contrary opinion as  islamophobic, or xenophobic. How about describing them as 'citizens that are 'reasonably' concerned for the future of their family & Country'?

Other than for our home grown jihadists, would a Christian, or Jewish North American ever be capable of assimilating into middle-eastern Islamic culture?

As unfortunate as the situation may be becoming for everyone involved, the record I'm aware of is absent of any success when it comes to Islam's ability to share & get along with 'any' other culture, especially on their home turf. Is it reasonable to expect the outcome to be any different here in the modern Western world?

 

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^Do they apply the same words (jewophobic?) to their own countries? An Israeli citizen can't travel to any of the countries on Trump's travel "interruption" list ever, no matter what their religious affiliation. Where is the outcry?

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There has been outcry for, oh I dunno is it centuries now?  It just does not directly or indirectly affect anyone in North America.  Perhaps go to Tel-Aviv and read the news there.

 

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