Friday 22-03-2019 - 14:40

On 22 March Isoc dedicated Friday Prayer to remembrance for the victims of the New Zealand terror attack. They carried out their prayers in The Union and opened the event up to people of all faiths and all backgrounds.

Over 250 people attended the session and paid remembrance to those who died in the terrorist attack at the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed 51 people and injured dozens.

A diverse mix of students and staff gathered to stand in solidarity and pay their respects to those who were injured and lost their lives in the attack. Mohammed Ullah, chaplain at the University, led the session and used the platform to raise awareness of Islamophobia and signpost towards actions that people can take to report and effectively combat Islamophobic actions and language.

Tayyib Nawaz, ex vice president of Isoc and representative from Global Relief Trust said: "[Muslims] need to start taking the right actions to report hate crime, and educate [themselves] on their rights to be able to stand up for themselves."

Abdul Rehman, VP of Isoc said: "[the goal of the attack] was to divide and spread hatred by pushing an 'us vs them' attitude. Open Friday Prayer sends the message that we're not scared. We don't see non-Muslims as a threat. We want to open our doors and bridge the gap, and be more open and transparent so that people understand. We want more opportunities to start the dialogue and for people to know more about us as Muslims."

Victim of hate crime? You can report it at the Advice Centre at The Union