By: Mahmood Awan
The tragedy in New Zealand is an attack on religious freedoms. This attack was planned
and carried out by a crazed terrorist on the very fundamental values we treasure as human beings. The senseless murders of these innocent souls is beyond the human capacity of understanding.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, has become the face of true leadership in the face of the most violent terrorist attack facing her country. Her empathy and stoic determination in supporting the families of the victims has won her admiration from around the world as New Zealand comes to grips with the aftermath of the unprecedented attack on the mosques.
What can we do to prevent such a catastrophe from happening in Canada?
Religious organizations in BC, in particular the BCMA must determine a viable course of action to discuss the future of our community, our safety, our security and the protection of freedom to practice our faith in our mosques. This issue is beyond the scope of a few executives at the BCMA. The mosques under the BCMA are not equipped to handle and proceed with drastic measures to protect our members.
The Security Infrastructure Program put in place by the Canadian government provides funding to help secure our places of worship. It is unfortunate when places of worship must concern themselves with ensuring the safety of its congregants but all of us know the toll that Islamophobia has taken on Muslim families and the continuing crisis it presents.
Places of worship must be sanctuaries of peace and reflection not hate and intolerance.
My suggestion is we should have a security card for each member. The ID card can be sold for $5 and the card must be swiped at the door before entering. No one without the ID card would be permitted to enter the masjid. This is not an easy or painless system to put into place but for the sake of the security of our members, we must pursue procedures that must be implemented. The BCMA must be the leader in organizing a widespread plan of action which would require the Executive to include past and current members to commit to a strategy for the benefit of our community. Please put the differences aside and collectively come together and put a security plan in place for every member of the BCMA.
Let us show true wisdom by
being vigilant in the face of any security risks.
Let us not be penny wise and pound foolish.
Jazak Allah Kheir un,
ISCC and MAT Strongly Condemn Attacks on New Zealand Mosques
By:Imam Syed Soharwardy
Calgary, Alberta) Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC) and Muslims Against Terrorism (MAT) strongly condemn yesterday’s terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in which more than 50 worshipers were dead and dozens were wounded. “This is nothing but terrorism against Muslims. This is nothing but hate against Muslims. This is nothing but Islamophobia”, said Imam Syed Soharwardy, the founder of Muslims Against Terrorism and the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada. ISCC and MAT demands that the United Nations and all countries must declare Islamophobia hate and punishable crime. Islamophobia is flourishing and it must stop.
ISCC and MAT appreciates the Prime Minister of New Zeeland’s speech in which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern not only condemned the attacks but declared that these attacks are on all New Zealanders. We must unite against hate. ISCC and MAT express deep sympathies and solidarity with the Muslim community of New Zealand. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in New Zealand. We pray for the victims.
‘Devil is let loose’
By: Gulshan Alani
Our heartiest condolences to the victims-families and the world wide Muslim Ummah who are devastated by the multiple shooting and killing by the evil hate-monger.
The Horror of Massacre of innocent Muslims praying to their Lord in the Masjid, proves that the Devil cannot tolerate the Believers who prostrate to their Lord Almighty GOD-Creator of the Universe.
Proven, angry Iblis-devil is anti-Allah-Creator, more hateful of HIS followers, and trying hard to fight against HIM and HIS followers for the simple reason that he/Jinn was punished by Allah for disobeying HIM and thrown out of the Divine presence and since then he became an enemy of Allah-Creator and HIS followers.
Though, he knows that eventually he will be defeated by Allah, yet he keeps on playing his dangerous hateful hobby of killing the true worshippers of Creator-GOD.
Little he knows that by his evil actions of killing Muslim worshipers he has done them a favor, as such are believed to be the martyrs and they fly away straight to Heaven-SubhanAllah.
We all work hard and try to thrive in the way of our Creator, obey HIS commandments to enter Paradise, in some cases we pay thousands to buy the tickets from an evil conman who promises to give entry in Paradise, but all his promises are in vein, as only Allah’s promises are valid who owns the 7 Heavens and the whole world.
Kudos to majority of the non-Muslim righteous people standing by the grieving Muslims and showing perfect solidarity with them.
