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Judicial event at a London mosque applauded by Ontario's Attorney General
10-04-2017
An annual ceremony that marks the opening of the superior court of justice in southwestern Ontario was held at a London mosque, a venue that Yasir Naqvi said points to the value of inclusivity in our justice system.
Naqvi is Canada's first Muslim attorney general. He was the keynote speaker at the event on Tuesday at the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario.
?"I've always firmly believed that our justice system should be reflective of the communities it serves and we have to be inclusive of all those communities," he said. "By hosting this important tradition at a mosque, I think speaks volumes and is a powerful way of outreaching to a diverse community and spreading a message of inclusiveness."
The Islamic centre on Pondmills Road is a community non-profit that provides a prayer and educational space for the local Muslim community.
Several prominent city lawyers and police officers represented different faiths and cultures at the ceremony in the city's south end.
Naqvi formerly served as Ontario's minister of community safety and correctional services and was also the minister of labour.
He moved to Canada in 1988 after his father was imprisoned in Pakistan for leading a pro-democracy march.
Naqvi said everyone benefits when more people get involved in politics.
"I encourage Muslims and people of all backgrounds to participate in our political process and run for office because that's how we get all the voices reflected and allows us to make better decisions in the roles that we perform federally provincially or municipally or at a school board level that are reflective of the communities that we serve."
Next year's fall opening ceremonies will be held at the First Baptist Church in London.
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