Winnipeg’s Muslim community is reeling after a young man suffering from mental illness committed suicide by setting himself on fire inside Waverley Grand Mosque on Saturday afternoon, on the eve of a major Islamic festival, Eid al-Adha.
The self-immolation prompted calls for increased mental health support from Islamic Society of Manitoba board members, who released a statement Sunday night detailing the tragedy.
“While I cannot go into the details of what happened to this young man, I can say that our community is increasingly concerned about several factors that may have impacted his health,” the statement said, which was not attributed to any specific committee member.
“We encourage politicians to oppose barriers to mental health care and ensure that all members of the Muslim and Canadian communities have broad access to mental health care.”
Winnipeg police confirmed officers and Winnipeg Fire Paramedics responded to a call about a person suffering from a self-inflicted injury at Waverly Street Mosque.
A police spokesman said no further details would be released.
According to the Islamic Association, parts of the mosque are off-limits to the public.
The incident occurred hours before the start of Eid al-Adha, a days-long celebration commemorating the sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim and considered one of the holiest days in Islam.
The statement referred to the war in Gaza, which it said “affects many people beyond the borders of our communities.” In response, the association said it was working to increase mental health support within Muslim communities.
“You cannot have good mental health in a world of racism, Islamophobia and genocide. And you cannot alleviate mental health concerns in a world that does not prioritise mental health as health,” the report said.
“To the family who has lost this young man, we are with you. To others in our neighbourhood and wider community who are struggling during this difficult time, we are with you.”
Information about the funeral prayers will be shared with the Muslim community, he said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is Free PressCity Desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s Creative Communications program, Stonewall Telegraph Tribune, Selkirk Records and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler here.
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