‘I lost their smiles’: Quebec City Muslim community counters hate 8 years after deadly mosque attack [Video]

Images of the night of Jan. 29, 2017 still come back to Boufeldja Benabdallah.

The call he received; pulling up to the mosque he co-founded; finding it completely surrounded by police.

“It was a panic,” said Benabdallah. “All these images remind us of this sadness.”

Six men died after a gunman opened fire in the Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City. It left 19 injured and 17 children fatherless.

Years later, Benabdallah says it’s important to keep the memory of the victims alive.

He remembers Azzeddine Soufiane, a smiley man who would tip toe into the mosque to pray silently.

Mamadou Tanou Barry was “joyous.” Ibrahima Barry was a serious yet friendly man who helped support immigrants in the community.

Abdelkrim Hassane was the “footballer,” who would talk at length about the championship, while Aboubaker Thabti loved volunteering for activities with kids. Khaled Belkacemi was a …