Parisians in Winnipeg worry Charlie Hebdo attack is just the beginning
Former Parisians now living in Winnipeg say the mass killing of 12 people at a French satirical magazine is the sign of a boiling point in France between Muslim and non-Muslims.
Claire Lombard, who came to Winnipeg from France in August, said Wednesday's attack on Charlie Hebdo by three masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar" does not surprise her.
"Not really because we talk with my friends and we know something is happening with Muslim people (in France)," Lombard said.
There is a growing Muslim population in France, many of whom have been in the country for generations, but Lombard said they feel like they are between two cultures.
"It's complicated for these people because they feel not French when they live in France because we consider them like other people and when they go in their country they feel like, everybody told them, 'you're French,'" she said.
"You know, that's why maybe they feel bad. They have no country, you know what I mean? There is a lot of racism in my country."
Wednesday's attack may be the beginning of more violence and Lombard worries about her family in France.
Larissa Webster, who owns The Frenchway cafe and bakery in Winnipeg, lived with her husband in Paris for years before moving back to Canada.
"I'm feeling very sad. The magazine offices, newspaper offices, were close to where I lived when we spent our time in Paris," she said. "It was our neighbourhood so it kind of brought it close to home."
Webster said she could see problems developing there because the economy is slowing down in France and there is a growing disparity between rich and poor, Muslim and non-Muslim.
"In France [many Muslims] don't have the same opportunities that others have. There is a stigma that comes along with them. So there's a lot of frustration," she said.
"I remember seeing interviews with Muslim people who are well educated and just wanted to build a good life for themselves and they couldn't, and this is the thing, like they saw their grandparents and parents living in poverty and these youth can never get ahead because they have that stigma, 'oh you're Muslim, you're a problem.'"
The attacks in Paris have sent shock waves around the world and in Winnipeg on Wednesday, Mayor Brian Bowman started the executive policy meeting with a moment of silence for the victims.
Canada's federal politicians have also issued public statements denouncing the attacks and mourning the victims.