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91ƵGood friends do exist91Ƶ: London attack victims remembered at sentencing hearing

Veltman91Ƶs killings on June 6, 2021 in Ontario have prompted calls for Canada to confront Islamophobia
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Family and friends of the Afzaal family speak to the media outside Superior Court of Justice in Windsor, Ont., after a verdict in the Nathaniel Veltman murder trial was reached, on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Veltman91Ƶs killings on June 6, 2021 in London Ont. have prompted calls for Canada to confront Islamophobia and raised new concerns about the threats of online radicalization. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dax Melmer

A father revered by relatives for his seemingly endless generosity; a devoted mother who persevered through obstacles; a grandmother who painted cartoon characters for her grandchildren and a teenage girl who a friend described as a 91Ƶgiver of hope.91Ƶ

They were the victims of the deadly attack against four members of a Muslim family perpetrated by a self-proclaimed white nationalist.

Nathaniel Veltman91Ƶs killings on June 6, 2021 in London, Ont., have prompted calls for Canada to confront Islamophobia and raised new concerns about the threats of online radicalization.

But at Veltman91Ƶs sentencing hearing this week, attention re-focused on his victims, members of a family that immigrated from Pakistan in 2007 and built a life in Ontario before being run down while they were out for a walk.

Forty-four-year-old Madiha Salman, her 46-year-old husband Salman Afzaal, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and the teen91Ƶs 74-year-old grandmother Talat Afzaal were killed, while the couple91Ƶs nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived.

Relatives and friends honoured them through dozens of victim impact statements heard in court this week.

Salman Afzaal

Salman Afzaal was 91Ƶthe most radiant person, overflowing with kindness that touched the depths of every soul he encountered,91Ƶ his sister Ayesha Shaukat told the hearing.

Afzaal was a physiotherapist who worked at a long term care facility in London for nine years before his death. He played cricket with friends several times a week and was a consistent presence at his London mosque.

His sister said Afzaal had 91Ƶan infectious smile that could lift the heaviest hearts.91Ƶ

His cousin Samiya Ahmad told the hearing Afzaal was known for his selflessness.

91ƵWhen I was a medical student, he gifted me a stethoscope. At that time, he had just started working and it must have cost him almost a month91Ƶs salary,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵI cannot ever repay his generosity. My heart can never be as big as his.91Ƶ

Madiha Salman

As an undergraduate student in Pakistan, Madiha Salman was the only female student in her engineering program.

That did not discourage her, Salman91Ƶs mother Tabinda Bukhari told the sentencing hearing.

91ƵShe was a problem solver, full of wonderful ideas.91Ƶ

91ƵShe became my best friend as she grew. We had a wonderful bond. We discussed all sorts of things, family matters, house improvements, fashion trends, recipes,91Ƶ Bukhari said.

Bukhari was living in Pakistan but has moved to Canada since the attack to be with her family.

She said she and her daughter talked regularly, including on the day Salman died.

91ƵEven on the morning of that fateful day, we had a usual video talk. Who knew that would be the last time I saw and talk to her?. I miss her jokes, her laugh, her views about different things.91Ƶ

Talat Afzaal

Talat Afzaal was a retired schoolteacher and an artist who mainly painted landscapes until she started producing cartoon characters for her grandchildren.

Her daughter Ayesha Shaukat told the sentencing hearing that her mother had to overcome many challenges in raising her children.

91ƵHer kindness was boundless. A soothing balm in times of difficulty, a guiding light that enveloped all of us together,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵWith unwavering strength, she faced challenges with resilience and grace. A woman of grace, compassion, and boundless love the one whom I spoke to every single day, her every single call which I awaited every morning.91Ƶ

Madiha91Ƶs mother Tabinda Bukhari said that Talat became a 91Ƶdear friend91Ƶ after their children married.

91ƵShe was a soft spoken, gentle and kind hearted person, admired and respected by everyone who knew her,91Ƶ she said.

Yumna Afzaal

Several of Yumna Afzaal91Ƶs friends from Oakridge Secondary School in London addressed the sentencing hearing, praising her kindness and warmth.

Maryam Alsabawi said she and Yumna ran for student council together, planned to start a business that donated its profits to charity, and often talked about 91Ƶour futures, our hopes and our dreams.91Ƶ

91ƵYumna was more than a friend to me. She was a confidant, a support system, a classmate, a study partner, a secret keeper, a giver of hope. And most importantly, she was a constant reminder that good friends do exist,91Ƶ Alsabawi told the court.

91ƵNot a day passes that I do not think of her. I miss her contagious laughter, her smile, her kindness, her sense of humor. I miss going on walks with her. And I especially miss receiving her 3am texts about the most random things.91Ƶ

Yumna91Ƶs maternal grandmother, Tabinda Bukhari, recalled the joy her birth brought to the family.

91ƵI remember holding her in my arms,91Ƶ she said of Yumna.

91ƵShe was blooming into a beautiful young lady with amazing artistic skills,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵIt91Ƶs heartbreaking that this lovely budding flower was cruelly and ruthlessly crumbled.91Ƶ

Multiple school friends quoted a phrase written by Yumna on a mural she had painted at school before she died.

91ƵShoot for the moon, even if you miss, you91Ƶll land among the stars.91Ƶ

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press

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