Thursday, March 28, 2024

Thousands gathered outside Victoria City Hall to show support to the Muslim community (PHOTOS)

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Thousands of people turned up for the show of solidarity outside Victoria City Hall today in support of the Muslim community.

Lisa Helps began the gathering of support with a moment of silence for the people who were killed while praying in Quebec on Sunday.

To our Muslim friends, neighbours, sisters and brothers, we love you; we support you, we stand with you, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. You belong here; we are your community” she continued.

The Victoria mosque’s Imam, Ismail Mohamed Nur thanked the thousands of people gathered at City Hall and that it means a lot to the Muslim community here in Victoria.
“We live in a time where people try so very hard to divide us, but it only brings us closer and makes us stronger. We are one community regardless of religion, regardless of nationality,” Mohamed Nur said.

He also stressed the importance to address the topic of Islamophobia, “which people sometimes shy away from,”  Islamophobia is rising in the western world and in Canada which is a source of worry and fear for the Muslim community, he said.

“We need to do more, we need to connect, this is a battle that is ongoing, and it will be waged through education and communication,” said Mohamed Nur.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps thanked the Imam for his courage in naming Islamophobia, which is the only way to fight it.

Victoria Police Chief Del Manak estimates the crowd size at about 3,000.

Alexandre Bissonnette,  27, the sole suspect in Sunday’s terrorist attack, has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder for the shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre.

Here are photos from today’s gathering in Victoria:

 

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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