Pakistani Christian Campaigner whose travel to Canada resulted in 'near miss' of terror attack in Edmonton says the west is no longer safe!

• 1-Oct-2017
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British Pakistani Christian Association Chairman had a near miss avoiding a terrorist attack in Edmonton, Canada that occurred on the evening of September 30th  2017. Mr Chowdhry was attending a rally and then an evening round table discussion at Multicultural Christian Church in Millwoods.

The event ended at 8pm and due to networking after the meeting Mr Chowdhry finished around 9.30.pm, on the way back to his hotel which was only 1 minute away from the incident site of the attack, the driver of his vehicle took an alternative route which meant they circumvented the area.

Mr Chowdhry expressed his condolences for those injured in the attack and commended the bravery and professionalism of law enforcement and emergency services who rapidly responded to the threat.



Mr Chowdhry, said:

"London has been hit with 4 terrorist attacks in 2017, the UK has been hit five time. Here is Edmonton an extremely quiet city this attack has caught me off guard and has shocked me to the core.

"This attack was simply too close to home and I find myself at a loss for words. There is nowhere that is safe from Islamic extremists using means such as these opportunist and less sophisticated vehicle attacks.  

"I came to Canada to seek refuge for thousands of stranded Pakistani Christians in Thailand seeking to leave the violent Islamic extremism in their homeland, yet I find myself  once again in an ostensibly safe nation praying for victims of another precipitous assault on innocent people.

"The mindset of individuals willing to perpetuate such violence is an unfathomably evil, that will serve to create more division amongst increasingly polarised communities.

"I fear that unless nations in the West are willing to speak up about the true nature of the root causes of these incidents, we will never be able to overcome the proliferation of the hate ideology motivating these fundamentalists.

"These attackers are not saying 'Our Father who art in Heaven' before their attacks'.  We need to engage with our Muslim neighbours and work better in particular with those supporting community harmony.  At the same those who are committing crimes must be reported with equal vigour by all citizens of nations in the west. The time to stay silent is over."

Mr Chowdhry was visiting Canada, to highlight the plight of Pakistani Christians who suffer severe persecution for their faith.  He has been meeting with Canadian politicians, and has been speaking at several churches.  Yesterday at the Legislative Assembly Building in Edmonton he spoke at a public rally calling for help for Maherwar Ishaq who has been threatened with death for reporting a sexual harassment incident by a Pakistani official (click here).

Keri-Lynn Gibbs a Canadian Citizen, who organised his trip and the schedule in Canada explained how she felt she should change the venue for his accommodation.  Which moved Mr Chowdhry a few blocks away from the incident site.

"Because of it's proximity to the legislature I was going to book Mr Chowdhry in Matrix Hotel for his stay here in Edmonton. However, I decided to place him closer to the river valley 500m further down the same street. Now this insignificant adjustment, seems providential."



A police constable in Edmonton Canada was struck down with a lorry and then repeatedly stabbed by the driver. A manhunt ensued resulting in several police cruisers giving chase to the suspect at high speed in downtown Edmonton Saturday night, officials say, in what is now being deemed a terrorism incident.
Four pedestrians and the constable were injured when the U-Haul truck struck them as it sped down Jasper Avenue, Edmonton police chief Rod Knetch told reporters.
The officer is not in critical condition. Knetch could not provide more details about the condition of the pedestrians.

The 30 year old suspect is now in custody and appears to have acted alone, according to Edmonton police chief.
Chief Knetch said an Islamic State flag that was inside the suspect's vehicle had been seized and was part of the investigation, which now involves the local RCMP-led Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, a counter-terrorism unit.