Pakistani origin known hatemonger and Islamophobe, Tarek Fatah, has been facing condemnation for his ‘crocodile tears’ after he tweeted about the ghastly murder of four members of a Muslim family in Canada by 20-year-old suspected terrorist Nathaniel Veltman. These four members of a Muslim family were brutally killed in London, Ontario on Monday after Veltman jumped the curb and ran them over before fleeing from the spot. He was later arrested from a nearby mall.
According to news agency Reuters, those killed in the terrorist incident have been identified as 46-year-old Syed Afzaal, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah Afzaal and Syed Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother, whose name is not yet confirmed. Their 9-year-old son Faez Afzaal is in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Reacting to the news, Fatah tweeted, “Horrific. Muslim family targeted in fatal hit and run by a truck driver in London, Ontario. Police say, the runaway driver has been arrested and charged with murder. Three adults and a teen are dead while a child is injured.”
Known for demonising Muslims and Islam through fake news, Fatah came for severe criticism as netizens mocked his sentiments as being ‘crocodile tears.’ One Dr. Naveed Iqbal wrote, “The murder of an innocent Muslim family in Ontario is a tragic outcome of Islamophobia and hatred fermenting over the years. This Tarek Fatah with his crocodile tears is one of those cheerleaders of anti-Muslim hatred in Canada.”
Twitter user Mo wrote, “That is rich. Coming from you and the Toronto sun. You are complicit in this. RIH and GFY.” Another Twitter user commented, “You are complicit in this tragedy. You are the 1st one painting everyday hard working Muslims with the same brush as fringe radical Muslims. All your hate speech has a lot do it with it.”
Fatah, who had reportedly fled Pakistan to avoid being prosecuted, now resides in Canada and has frequently written for the Toronto Sun newspaper, which has also faced criticism for promoting Islamophobia in Canada by providing space to a known hatemonger such as Tarek Fatah.
Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London, Ontario, police department told reporters that the terrorist targeted the victims ‘because they were Muslim’ adding that he would be produced before a court on Thursday.
The latest attack has become the worst against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members of a Quebec City mosque in 2017.
Known for being a tolerant society, which promotes multiculturism, Canada has seen a meteoric rise in Islamophobia. One hopes that the present government comes down like a ton of bricks in prosecuting the known hatemongers and platforms that provide space to amplify their hate speech.