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Parc-Extension, which has reported the highest rate of working poor in Montreal, is also posting the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the city, according to newly-released figures by public health authorities.
To close that gap, health workers have gone door-to-door urging Parc-Ex residents to get vaccinated. Vans have driven up and down streets with a loudspeaker delivering the message not only in French, but eight other languages.
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And on Tuesday, authorities set up a walk-in vaccine clinic at the Assunna Annabawiya Mosque on Hutchison St., open not just to Muslims but to Sikhs and those of other faiths. Turnout at the clinic which will open again Wednesday exceeded organizers’ expectations, but challenges remain.
MONTREAL The most recent attack on a Montreal-area mosque has left a community on edge and asking for stronger action from authorities. There are children who come to the mosque, and parents who trust us to take care of them, said Salam Elmenyawi, the president of the Muslim Council of Montreal. All this terrified the community as easily someone pointing a gun and shooting. Surveillance footage from Monday evening shows a person approaching the Assahaba Islamique Community Centre on Belanger St. in eastern Montreal, and firing 11 shots with a BB gun before running away. The attack left a window pock-marked, but the invisible damage went deeper.
“[Places of worship] are good for the community. We don’t want to turn them into places where people get sick,” said Imam Ali Falih Altaie, director of Fondation Internationale Azzahra. “People love to go to the mosque and pray. This might be the first time in their lives that they have to stay home,” he said. “We ask God for the good of the society, not just for ourselves.” Another imam told CTV News the effects of missing evening prayers shouldn’t be underestimated, calling the situation “a disaster.” “These are essential services,” said Salam Elmenyawi, president of The Muslim Council of Montreal.