Extending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Abeal Abera..
The GRIP team extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Abeal Abera. It is with extraordinary bravery and character that this young man risked and lost his life at only 26 years of age, while protecting a stranger from harm. It is deeply troubling that false and prejudiced rumours were spread afterwards about this community hero, that he may have been doing something wrong, because he was a dark-skinned man from Surrey. The heartfelt messages from his family to the community are a plea to our society to look beyond Abeal or any person’s skin colour and to see them as a human being. This statement is a wakeup call to everyone in our society that racism is still deeply rooted in parts of Canadian society. The uncomfortable truth is this, that we live in a society where our members beg others to see beyond their skin colour. Pretending to be a society that respects and protects minorities is not good enough - words mean nothing without action and we must begin to follow through with our actions. We encourage you to sign the Abera family’s petition to bring justice for Abeal and also support all other efforts towards respect and equal treatment for minorities in Canada. We hope that the petition will be signed by Canadians with friends and families of all ethnic backgrounds. Above all, we urge that the government and investigators look into this case with care as it is the duty of any responsible government and police to do so. Again, our heartfelt sympathies to the friends and family of hero Abeal Abera. Rest in peace - you’ll be in our thoughts and prayers.
Date: September 27, 2018