Head of Quebec City mosque urges Ottawa to ban assault weapons

He insisted the type of firearm that was used simply should not be in circulation in Canada.

“Everyone was dumbfounded that this individual had an assault weapon,” Benabdallah said, inviting MPs to put partisanship aside and unanimously support a ban on such weapons in Canada.

“It’s an appeal that I make to all of you here . . .and I will keep hammering at that until it happens; God willing,” he added.

At his side was Heidi Rathjen, co-ordinator of the lobby group PolySeSouvient, which includes students, families and victims of the shooting at Montreal’s Ecole polytechnique in 1989 when 14 women were gunned down.

Rathjen also called for a ban on assault weapons.

She said the proposed legislation “barely” respected promises made in the Liberals’ electoral platform, but, according to her, it was not a very robust framework.

When Rathjen left the committee, she said she had hope — even though it was slim — that the Trudeau government would agree to the request.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale reiterated Tuesday when he arrived at a cabinet meeting he is open to suggestions from the different groups that will appear at hearings on the proposed legislation.

When it comes to the classification of firearms, Bill C-71 gives the final word to the RCMP and not to politicians, as was the case in previous Conservative legislation.

Melanie Marquis, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Head of Quebec City mosque urges Ottawa to ban assault weapons

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