The Council of Canadians Guelph and Centre Wellington chapters were at a vigil last night organized by the Muslim Society of Guelph.
The outreach for the vigil noted, “Please join us tonight at the masjid at 6:30pm for prayers and services for those who are injured and those who have died. We ask that you join us for tonight’s prayer as the rest of the city will be joining to pay their respects to those lost in the tragedy and show their support of our community.”
More than 500 people were at the vigil.
Centre Wellington chapter activist Diane Ballantyne posted on Facebook, “Incredible turnout for such a tragic event.”
Earlier this month, the Muslim Society of Guelph presented a social justice award to the Guelph chapter “in appreciation for your ongoing commitment and contributions to strengthening our community and Building Bridges together.” Chapter activist Norah Chaloner tells us, “We have been using our network and skills to engage more people in support for our incoming Syrian refugee families and also handing out buttons that people can wear. The buttons state, ‘My brother is Muslim’ or ‘My sister is Muslim’ to show widespread support for our common brotherhood.”
The Council of Canadians calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reject US President Donald Trump’s ban that prohibits people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, for the Minister of Immigration to present a plan in the House of Commons on how to address this situation, and for the federal government to immediately rescind the Safe Third Country agreement with the United States.
The Council of Canadians supports diversity and inclusion, and rejects racism and Islamophobia.
