Local community comes together at the Muslim Society of Guelph
In the early evening of Jan. 29, a terrorist attack took place at the Québec City Islamic Cultural Centre that claimed the lives of six people and injured another 19, according to the Montreal Gazette.
Reacting to this incident, Muhammed Sayyed, president of the Muslim Society of Guelph, said in an interview with The Guelph Mercury-Tribune, “We are horrified. We are unable to process this right now.”
In the aftermath of the attack, a vigil was held on Jan. 30 at the Muslim Society of Guelph to demonstrate the support of the local community.
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As of 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening, 230 people had confirmed through Facebook that they would be attending the event. However, over 500 residents came out to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community.
Every room in the building was at capacity and many more stood outside in the cold to listen to the speeches. Many of those unable to physically attend the event took to social media to share their condolences and express their support for Muslims in Guelph and across Canada.
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Community members took to Twitter to express their hopes to continue building stronger relationships with the hashtag #GuelphStandsWithMuslims.
In response to a tweet from Guelph city councillor Phil Allt, who wrote: “We will continue to build bridges guided by Zakat. Greater humanity unites us. In peace.” The Muslim Society of Guelph replied, “There is no better answer than to continue building bridges of understanding across communities.”
Many prominent members of the community, including Sayyed and Guelph’s Chief of Police Jeff DeRuyter, spoke at the event expressing their grief and support for all those affected both here in Guelph and across the country.
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Though many members of the Guelph community may feel frightened by these events, DeRuyter assured those gathered at the vigil that the Guelph Police Service will do all it can to ensure the safety of all residents of the city. He also stated that “the best security is in relationships,” and that we must come together to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome.
Following the speeches on Monday night, a short prayer was said for the victims of the attack followed by a candlelit vigil outside in the parking lot.