A small group of demonstrators gathered outside City Hall Saturday afternoon in protest of Islamic radicals — including several from Calgary — fighting with terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Muslim organizers of the rally say militants fighting with the Islamic State, Al Nusrah and other groups do not belong to the mainstream Islamic faith, but are members of a cult.

The organizers say they are united with other faiths in condemning violence perpetrated by these militants, who control a spreading swath of Middle Eastern territory.

“We just want to make the people aware of these events and that they don’t represent Islam,” said Riayaz Khawaja, who helped organize the rally, which drew about 75 people to City Hall. “The youth of Canada should be aware of such brainwashing by elements inside the country who brainwash the youth and drive them to the IS ideology.”

One of those youth was Chris Boudreau’s son, Damian Clairmont. Clairmont converted to Islam when he was 17, and five years later, was reportedly killed last December or January while fighting as a member of the Islamic State.

“I can’t even imagine what was going through his mind. He was a loving, peaceful compassionate boy. He would have never agreed to anything like this if he knew of the killing, if he knew of the violence,” Boudreau said.

“He told me, ‘Mom, I’m going to protect women and children.’ That was his reason for going. He got caught off guard.”

She wiped away tears as she stepped back from the microphone.

“It’s difficult,” she acknowledged. of speaking publicly about her son.

But she said these are the conversations that need to be had, especially in a multi-faith setting.

“I think we need to realize that it’s not affecting just one culture and one religion, or one family dynamic,” said Boudreau. “We all could be just as easily affected and I know that if we point fingers and blame everybody else, then we think it’s less likely to affect us.”

“There just needs to be education right across the board,” Boudreau added.

The Rev. Natasha Brubaker Garrison, of St. Martin’s Anglican Church, agreed. She’s leading an Imam in Residence program at the church with Imam Syed Soharwardy in October, which aims to bring congregations together to learn about other faiths.

“I support Islam,” she said. “It’s a beautiful religion and has much to teach us, and we are not enemies. I don’t want to ever be in a place where we’re considered enemies so I think it’s important to stand in solidarity with other Muslims who are holding people to account.”

Annette Lengyel and Miriam Meir said wanted to come to the rally to show their support for their Muslim friends.

“I’m Jewish, and I’m for peace,” said Meir. “I have some wonderful friends, a lot of friends in the Muslim community, and we want people to know that the terrorist organization we’re protesting against today has nothing to do with what the real Islam stands for.”

Published reports indicate that, in addition to Clairmont, four other men from Calgary have travelled abroad to fight with terrorist groups: brothers Collin and Gregory Gordon, Salman Ashrafi, and Farah Shirdon.