To let the people of a Quebec City mosque know that all of Canada is behind them in mourning the six victims of a deadly shooting, a Chatham teenager organized a community vigil.

Held at the Community of Christ Church Friday evening, Rayenne Annous, a 17-year-old Chatham-Kent Secondary School student had the idea for the event to let the victims’ families and the mosque community know that people care; that even a relatively small community like Chatham cares about their loss and the senseless violence.

Originally from Lebanon, Annous moved to the area for Grade 9 from California. She has been studying social justice at school and wanted to do something to let people know that acts of violence fueled by hate have no place in our society.

“I want the people (of the Islamic Cultural Centre Mosque) to know that all of Canada is behind them, even here in Chatham-Kent,” Annous said. “This is just a small vigil to stand in solidarity with the victims and their families.”

The teen said Shone Carson, a leader at Community of Christ Church opened her church doors for the event and helped her with every aspect of the vigil.

In the vigil, a slide show paid tribute to the victims, then the people were led in prayer, both in Persian and English, with words and interpretation from the Quran.

“I was astonished (at the turnout). It was very heartwarming and refreshing to see people stand together at such an awful time,” Annous added.

The vigil followed an earlier one Feb. 1 outside the Civic Centre in Chatham. There, a diverse group of about 200 people gathered in a show of support for the victims of the Quebec City attack.

Hassan Elhkodr of the Chatham-Kent Muslim Association organized the event, and was one of the speakers.

As a light snow fell on a quiet winter evening, council and staff, on hand for a budget meeting upstairs, joined the gathering.

Elhkodr said the support at Wednesday’s vigil was heartening.

“This is a wonderful moment that we can come together and draw a lesson. We tell those who have anything in their heart against others that we will not let it pass. We are standing together,” he said. Together we are united against any wrongdoing. Injustice is not accepted. And that’s why we chose Canada to be our home. We feel that this is a peaceful country.”

Mayor Randy Hope said the gathering helps deliver a message of how Chatham-Kent embraces diversity.

“What’s really important is for us to show the rest of the province, the rest of the country and into the United States that in Chatham-Kent, we stand for each other, no matter the colour our skin or our religious beliefs,” he said. “It’s about protection o the persons. In this community, we want people to feel safe; safe from harm, safe from anything, and to live a life of enjoyment.”

Rev. Wanda Winfield of the Blenheim United Church, said the feeling of unity energized the evening.

“This is a wonderful time of people of all faiths to stand together against hate and against fear to be truly united against the forces that would draw us apart,” she said. “We are one. We are all children of God.”

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About the Author: Mary Beth Corcoran Mary Beth Corcoran is a Chatham native, born and raised. She studied Journalism at Humber College in Toronto and landed her first job in Lindsay as general reporter and dark room tech at Lindsay This Week. After eight years, she made the move to politics, joining the staff of then Victoria-Haliburton-Brock MPP Chris Hodgson as constituency assistant, and then press secretary at the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

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