Canadians express solidarity after attack on Jews in U.S.

MONTREAL — A national display of sympathy and solidarity grew Monday following Saturday’s murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 dead.

Major multi-faith vigils were set to begin Monday night in Toronto and Montreal — the two Canadian cities with the largest Jewish populations — as well as in Edmonton.

And in Quebec City, leaders of a mosque that was the site of a 2017 mass murder carried out by a lone gunman sent condolences to Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.

“It reminds us of the difficult moments we went through, and it brings back some of that worry,” Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec co-founder Boufeldja Benabdallah said in an interview Monday.

In a statement, the centre’s board decried “the madness of men” that “struck our Jewish neighbours of Pittsburgh . . . who were only praying in a sacred and untouchable place . . . . Today we understand very well the pain that Jewish families feel, and we are wholeheartedly with them.”

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians are “horrified” by the Pittsburgh attack, which occurred at a Sabbath service.

“Our hearts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and across Canada,” he told the House of Commons. “May the families of those murdered be comforted and may the injured recover quickly and fully. We’re working with U.S. authorities and ready to assist if required. Mr. Speaker, we will always stand united against hatred, intolerance, anti-Semitism and violence.”

The January 2017 attack at the Quebec City mosque killed six worshippers and injured 19 others.

In the months since the attack, Benabdallah said, a new reality has set in at the mosque. Open doors have given way to concrete barriers near the front door, magnetized locks and security cameras.

“What more can we do? It’s terrible,” Benabdallah said. “Are we going to keep on living like this, barricaded?”