On Jan. 29, McGill University will commemorate the victims of the 2017 shooting at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec (CCIQ) with a public lecture on the mental health impacts of Islamophobia and presentation of the annual Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec Memorial Award.
The commemoration, part of Muslim Awareness Week, marks the ninth anniversary of the attack, when six Muslim men were killed after evening prayers. The event will honour the victims while addressing the ongoing effects of Islamophobia on Muslim communities in Quebec and across Canada.
This year’s lecture will be delivered by Dr. Salam El-Majzoub, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Jewish General Hospital and associate professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry. Her talk will explore how discrimination, public rhetoric and social polarization affect well-being, particularly among Muslim youth.
Lecture to focus on youth mental health
The psychiatrist said Islamophobia operates like other forms of racism, but carries particular weight because it is often normalized in public and political discourse. She said young people are especially vulnerable, as adolescence is a critical period for identity development.
“You don’t have to experience a violent act directly for it to have an impact,” she said. “Living in a climate where your identity is debated or portrayed as incompatible with society can deeply affect how young people see themselves and their place in the world.”
Repeated exposure to exclusion and stigma can contribute to anxiety, depression and trauma-related symptoms, she added, while also undermining long-term aspirations and sense of belonging.
Institutions must go beyond reporting mechanisms by providing culturally safe, inclusive supports, said the featured speaker, and universities should “reclaim their role as spaces for dialogue” where students can exchange on ideologies and beliefs respectfully with room for disagreements.
“Muslim communities already have clear ideas about what support and healing look like,” she said. “When they are given space, resources and a voice, they are well equipped to develop solutions and advocate effectively. Supporting that leadership is one of the most powerful roles institutions can play.”
Muslim Awareness Week
The lecture is part of Muslim Awareness Week (MAW), now in its eighth edition, featuring cultural, educational and community events across campus and across Quebec.
Farah Chouayakh, Student Affairs Liaison for Muslim students and lead organizer of the commemorative lecture, said MAW counters prejudice and misinformation.
“MAW events offer space for authentic connection and exchange while facilitating collective critical reflection around the dehumanizing and demonizing discourses and practices that continue to legitimize the othering and stereotyping of Islam and Muslim identities,” Chouayakh said.
Student award highlights leadership and inclusion
The event will include a presentation of the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec Memorial Award, given annually to a McGill student who has demonstrated a commitment to fostering Muslim inclusion. This year’s recipient is Susan Aloudat, a fourth-year international development student graduating in May.
Aloudat began her advocacy in 2022 with the Muslim Student Association, where she focused on event planning and creating empowering spaces. She later moved into administrative leadership with the SSMU University Affairs portfolio, allowing her to pursue change at a systemic level.
She has focused on long-term advocacy by strengthening institutional pathways, providing a consistent point of contact for the MSA within the SSMU executive and raising Muslim student needs with university administrators.
“A lot of the work I do isn’t very visible,” Aloudat said. “This recognition felt like confirmation that those small efforts to make space for Muslim students matter. I hope the Muslim community feels represented and seen through this award; that matters most to me.”
The commemorative lecture will take place Jan. 29 at 4:30 p.m. in Leacock 232, followed by a walk to the commemorative plaque. Green squares, a symbol of solidarity against hate, will be available to participants. Learn more.