Play taking stage in Hamilton based on stories of real and 'tragic' impact of Islamophobia in Ontario

A section Muslim enactment is aiming to assistance radical "understand the interaction of hate," portion highlighting the lawsuit of the sidesplitting of a Muslim household successful London, Ont., 4 years ago. 

Mishka Social Services, a radical that supports Muslim newcomers successful Hamilton, is hosting a escaped theatre lawsuit connected Friday astatine the Zoetic Theatre exploring the consequences of Islamophobia. The lawsuit volition see a sheet discussion, a play and music.

"I consciousness similar this gives an alternative that's little tense, little confrontational, little controversial, really, to travel unneurotic and amusement that we basal against hatred successful each forms," said Mishka's enforcement director, Omar Mahamed.

Sofi Asali was successful complaint of penning and directing the play, which she called Our London Family.

"I deliberation my biggest anticipation for the play is that radical locomotion distant seeing much successful communal with the Muslim characters than different," she told CBC Hamilton.

Our London Family is described by Asali arsenic a portion of fabrication inspired by what happened to members of the Afzaal family.

Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and grandma Talat Afzaal, 74, were intentionally struck and killed portion retired connected an evening stroll on June 6, 2021 successful London. A young lad who was earnestly injured was the sole survivor.

The man who killed them is serving a beingness condemnation aft helium was convicted of terrorism, 4 counts of first-degree execution and 1 number of attempted execution during a proceedings successful Windsor, Ont., successful 2023. 

"The extremity [of the play] was to make a consciousness of a surviving memorial done people," said Asali.

Mahamed said the lawsuit volition besides beryllium a bully accidental to deliberation astir Islamophobia successful Hamilton.

He said tensions person been heightened successful the assemblage and bled into his work, helium said, wherever helium precocious had to woody with the lawsuit of a household that was targeted successful Hamilton, a archetypal for him.

Hamilton has a Muslim colonisation of astir 38,000, according to the 2021 census.

Mahamed added that the Muslim community has been feeling "worried," "scared," and "a spot threatened," arsenic a effect of Israel's ongoing bombing of Gaza.

The Jewish assemblage has had immoderate akin experiences, helium said, and both communities have seen accrued information successful synagogues and Mosques successful Hamilton arsenic preventative measures.

For him, the Friday lawsuit volition beryllium a "good mode to fto radical cognize we're here."

A play astir trauma and healing

Asali is from South Carolina but is presently based successful Toronto. As a University of Toronto cinema studies graduate, her enactment has mostly looked astatine intelligence wellness successful divers communities with a absorption connected the intersection of culture, religion and health.

As a second-generation Syrian American, she said she saw a batch of herself portion moving connected the play. Asali said contempt not being Muslim, she has experienced Islamophobia.

"The happening astir hatred is that it usually comes from a spot of paranoia and not education, and truthful I felt similar I could truly empathize with what I was going to write," said Asali.

The play is told from the position of the surviving household member, astatine an older age, and explores "how to stay contiguous successful times of pain," she said.

Mahamed said helium expects the assemblage volition consciousness heavy empathy for the main quality and get a close-up look astatine however traumatic these experiences tin be, but besides astatine however healing tin begin.

"It's shining a affirmative airy connected a dark, tragic topic," helium said.

Asali said determination was large attraction enactment into "balancing information and fiction."

"It's astir the affectional information of what happened portion maintaining similar the privateness and wishes of similar existent family," she said.

The play formed astir 15 radical betwixt the ages of 13 and 30 with a divers scope of experience.

Raising consciousness a antithetic way

Before the play, 4 speakers volition instrumentality the signifier for a sheet treatment looking astatine the interaction of Islamophobia connected individuals and families.

The sheet volition see assorted Muslim leaders and advocates, including Mohammed Baobaid, enforcement manager astatine the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration successful London, and Shahina Siddiqui, enforcement manager of the Islamic Social Services Association.

The lawsuit was funded by the Canada Race Relations Foundation, said Mahamed, truthful helium felt similar it would beryllium successful "bad taste" to complaint radical who privation to attend.

He said the lawsuit is aimed astatine anyone who wants to be and is hoping for a divers assemblage with a premix of Muslims and others.

Mahamed said the event could beryllium a bully accidental for radical to prosecute with the taxable of Islamophobia, successful a antithetic mode than attending a protestation oregon a march.

"We're looking to rise consciousness of however harmful discrimination, hatred and unit tin be. And for radical to besides admit that we could rise consciousness successful antithetic mediums," helium said.