Nobody is safe from hatred.
It can strike anywhere at any time.
Nowhere was that more apparent than Friday afternoon in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 28-year-old Brandon Tarrant walked into two mosques and opened fire, killing 50 Muslim worshippers and injuring 50 more.
“What they said in New Zealand was they felt so safe there, it’s a very peaceful country, so it’s really heartbreaking that’s been shattered now,” said Cathy Jackson, who joined the gathering of about 150 people at a late-afternoon vigil Saturday on the steps of city hall.
Jackson was among several people holding a candle in honour of the victims and she was encouraged by what she saw and heard during the hour-long presentation.
“I strongly believe that what we think about, we bring about, and if we think about hate and violence and put all our energy into the perpetrator then that’s what we’re going to bring about is more violence and less love,” Jackson said.
“We need to focus on the most important thing, which is love. Being together and supporting each other in whatever negative situation that might happen. Being that there are so many different nationalities here today, that made me very happy. One love, one world, it’s the only one we’ve got. ”
Like Jackson, Fizza Rashid was pleased with the diversity of the crowd gathered for Saturday’s vigil, and that message of love and understanding helps the healing process.
“Seeing so many people of different faiths, different backgrounds, different cultures is really supporting and heart-warming because I feel that it enhances what everyone feels as a community in Prince George,” said Rashid, a UNBC psychology student and co-president of the South Asia Student Association.
Rashid spoke of the first victim of the shootings, 71-year-old Daud Nabi, and how he greeted his killer with the words, “Hello brother,” as he walked into the Al Noor mosque holding a shotgun. The 28-year-old gunman, Brandon Tarrant, deliberately chose to stage his attacks during the jummah prayers that draw crowds to mosques every Friday.
Rasheed referred to the comments of Australian senator Fraser Anning, who blamed Muslim immigration as the real cause of the bloodshed in New Zealand, and U.S. president Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the rise in white supremacy movements. Neither of them reached out to the Muslim community to provide comfort in the wake of the tragedy and she said their loud words embolden groups that inspire ignorance and race- and religion-based hatred.
Rashid is of Pakistani descent and said she first encountered racism when she was three around the time of 9/11 attacks in 2001 when someone walked up to her mother and told them to go back to their country.
“There’s always that little seed of fear planted within me,” she said, ‘especially after things like this and the Quebec shooting a couple years ago. But ever since I’ve been here, it’s been seven years, and everyone has been incredibly kind and supportive and welcoming.”
The Prince George mosque on Fifth Avenue near Foothills Boulevard has had many visitors over the past few days arriving with flowers and cards of condolence to help the local congregation come to terms with what happened in Christchurch. Rashid thanked the RCMP for providing additional protection at the local mosque immediately after Friday’s attacks in Christchurch.
Lila Mansour spoke to the crowd wearing a white hijab and said she feels comfortable practicing her religion, having been born and raised in Prince George. She brought her two elementary school-aged brothers with her at the gathering but with the frequency of incidents like Christchurch increasing she worries her brothers will grow up afraid to outwardly show their religion, fearing they will be attacked for their beliefs.
“To my fellow Muslims, stay strong, do not fear,” she urged. “I’ve never been afraid to show I’m a Muslim. Prince George is my community, I love it, they’ve always supported me and I’ve always felt their love. People have said negative things but I do feel safe.”
Mayor Lyn Hall referred to the Quebec City mosque shooting in January 2017 which killed six people and how the two incidents provoked similar outpourings of grief and outrage, in Prince George and the rest of the world.
Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond admitted to the crowd she was nervous when she and her husband first visited the Prince George Muslim Centre when it opened in October 2011, but the Muslim community welcomed them with open arms and some have become their close friends. Mansour told the crowd there is an open invitation for non-Muslims to visit the mosque.
“This is an opportunity for us to open our doors (and for non-Muslims) to learn about is and our religion,” she said. “Our biggest fear is not of terrorism but of ignorance. Don’t be afraid to show you are a Muslim and say you are a Muslim.
“I can’t imagine going to a mosque and not coming home or that happening to one of my family members of friends. I think really the good that come out of this is that it can open more avenues of dialogue and people learn more about Islam. Often we’re portrayed in the media as terrorists but we are often the victims of terrorism and this is a time for us to speak and to educate people about our religion.”
Hassan Rashid, Fizza’s brother and a Grade 12 student at College Heights secondary school, said it was difficult to comprehend the sheer number of people killed at the hands of one fiend in the two New Zealand mosques.
“It’s a lot to process, you can’t really take in losing 50 lives all at one time,” he said. “It will take our community a long time to heal from this tragic terrorist event.
“He posted a 74-page manifesto of his plan and his shout-out to Trump and the (Australian) senator and I feel the person was brainwashed. Nobody in his right mind would go into a place of worship to kill anyone.”
“To be honest, yesterday going to jummah prayer I wasn’t feeling that safe. I just don’t understand what goes through someone’s mind to do something like that. He livestreamed it on Facebook and posted it on YouTube and there were comments from people saying like, ‘Good job.’”
