Suspect linked to far-right
Man arrested over murder of six at Quebec mosque known for his nationalist views
AFrench Canadian known for far-right, nationalist views was charged yesterday with six counts of firstdegree murder and five counts of attempted murder over the shooting rampage at a Quebec City mosque that Canada’s Prime Minister called an act of terrorism against Muslims.
Suspect Alexandre Bissonnette made a brief court appearance and did not enter a plea in the attack that left six people dead during evening prayers on Monday. Wearing a white prisoner jump suit, his hands and feet shackled, he stared down at the floor and fidgeted, but did not speak.
The 27-year-old suspect, who has espoused support for the French farright party of Marine Le Pen and had liked United States President Donald Trump on his Facebook page, was known to those who monitor extremist groups in Quebec, said Francois Deschamps, an official with a refugee advocacy group.
“It’s with pain and anger that we learn the identity of terrorist Alexandre Bissonnette, unfortunately known to many activists in Quebec for taking nationalist, pro-Le Pen and anti-feminist positions at Laval University and on social media,” Deschamps wrote on the Facebook page of the group, Bienvenues aux Refugies, or Welcome to Refugees.
An anthropology and political science major at Laval University in Quebec City, Bissonnette had also expressed support on his Facebook profile for “Generation Nationale”, a group whose manifesto includes the rejection of “multiculturalism”.
More than 50 people were at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre when the shooting erupted. As well as the six dead, 19 people were wounded — all men. Of the five victims who remained hospitalised, two were in critical condition. The dead ranged in age from 39 to 60.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard both characterised the attack as a terrorist act, which came amid heightened tensions worldwide over Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim countries.
Le Pen, leader of the National Front in France, is known for her antiMuslim, anti-immigrant positions and has won the endorsement and admiration of white supremacists.
Canada is generally welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but the French-speaking province of Quebec has had a long-simmering debate about race and religious accommodation. The previous separatist Government of the province called for a ban on ostentatious religious symbols, such as the hijab, in public institutions.
Trudeau said in Parliament that the victims were targeted simply because of their religion and spoke directly to the more than 1 million Muslims who live in Canada, saying, “We are with you.”
Quebec is a good, generally loving society, but we have these devils as other societies have. We have to recognise that and fight them. Philippe Couillard, Quebec Premier
“Thirty-six million hearts are breaking with yours,” Trudeau said. “Know that we value you.”
The Prime Minister later attended a vigil outside the mosque.
The suspect was arrested in his car near d’Orleans, where he called 911 to say he wanted to co-operate with police. Authorities, who initially named two suspects, said the other man taken into custody was a witness and was released yesterday. They said they did not believe there were other suspects but were investigating.
Police did not give a motive for the attack.
The victims were businessmen, a university professor and others who had gathered for evening prayers, said Mohamed Labidi, the vicepresident of the mosque.
“‘It’s a very, very big tragedy for us,” Labidi said tearfully. “We have a sadness we cannot express.”
He said the victims were shot in the back.
“Security at our mosque was our major, major concern,” he said. “But we were caught off guard.”
Couillard said he would “not go there” when asked if he blamed recent rhetoric in in the US for the attack. “Quebec is a good, generally loving society, but we have these devils as other societies have. We have to recognise that and fight them,” Couillard said at a news conference in Quebec City at which he and Muslim leaders held hands in a display of solidarity.