Winnipeg’s Muslim community is reeling after a youth suffering from mental illness lit himself on fire inside the Waverley Grand Mosque Saturday afternoon, dying by suicide on the eve of Eid al-Adha, an important Islamic festival.
The act of self-immolation has sparked calls for increased mental health supports from Manitoba Islamic Association Board members, who released a statement detailing the tragedy Sunday evening.
“Though we cannot speak to the details of what occurred for this youth, what we can say is that our community remains increasingly concerned about several factors that may have impacted his well-being,” read the statement, which was not attributed to a particular board member.
“We encourage politicians to speak up against barriers to mental health care and ensure it is broadly accessible to all members of our Muslim and Canadian community.”
The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed officers, along with members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, responded to a call involving a person in distress with self-inflicted injuries at the Waverley Street mosque.
Police do not expect to release further details, a spokesperson said.
Sections of the mosque have been closed to the public, the Islamic association said.
The incident occurred hours before the beginning of Eid al-Adha, a multi-day celebration commemorating the sacrifice of the prophet Ibrahim. It is considered one of the most sacred dates in Islam.
The statement referenced the war Gaza, saying it “is impacting so many people beyond the boundaries of our community.” In response, the association has been working to increase mental health supports within the Islamic community, it said.
“We cannot have positive mental health in the context of a racist, Islamophobic and genocidal world. And we cannot alleviate mental health concerns in a world that does not prioritize mental health as health,” it said.
“To the family who lost this young man, we are with you. To others who struggle during this difficult time in our immediate and broader community, we are with you.”
Funeral prayer information will be shared with the Islamic community, it said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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