Hundreds gather in Mississauga to mourn Muslims massacred in New Zealand
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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness — only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate — only love can do that.”
This Martin Luther King Jr. quote was spoken to 500 people who gathered at Celebration Square in Mississauga on Saturday to grieve the 50 Muslims shot dead during prayers in New Zealand.
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The vigil was to fight Islamophobia after the Muslims were massacred by a white supremacist.
“Someone willful to take a life this way is not brave. It should be named for what it is and that’s terrorism,” said Ahomad Bostani.
“My people are being attacked all over the world. We are human beings, not combatants. We fled wars from back home to come here for peace. We are people of irrational hope.”
Islamophobia is real, Rabia Khadr, executive director of the Muslim Council of Peel, said adding the killings in New Zealand left her unusually lost for words.
“Anyone who denies Isamophobia goes against our shared humanity,” Khadr said. “This is unforgivable, but we will move on right here today and stand together against all forms of hate.”
Mississauga Deputy Mayor Ron Starr said the city’s diversity won’t allow such “evil” forces to enter.
“We are all deeply saddened by the acts of pure evil and we have to do something about that. We will continue to work for tolerance and no hate,” Starr said.
Mustofa Naguib attended the rally to show what it is to be Muslim.
“I don’t want people to think of Muslims like this. As Muslims, we are supposed to take care of all human beings, Christians, Jews,” Naguib said.
Words can’t express the shock and sadness of the cowardly act in New Zealand where the youngest victim was five years old, said Samya Hasan, executive director of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians.
“We stand firmly in solidarity with our Muslim communities and other racialized communities to continue to combat Islamophobia” Hasan said in a release.
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