SASKATOON – Explosions, gunfire, sirens and confusion. Those were some of the sounds and feelings Saskatonians encountered while watching the events in Paris unfold on Friday.
“A friend of mine texted me about the event and I looked at it and the first thought was ‘come on, why? Why in the name of Islam and why is it happening anyways?'” said Noman Hassan, media spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at.
IN DEPTH: Paris Attacks
Although Paris is far away, the ripple effects are felt here in Saskatchewan. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at community president Shamoon Rashid is scared attacks like this will spread “Islamophobia” here at home in Saskatoon.
“Whenever the name of Islam is attached to something like that it is as if our religion has been hijacked by these terrorists,” said Rashid.
His fears aren’t unfounded, #MuslimsAreNotTerrorist was trending on Twitter Saturday. Many are feeling the need to share frustrations and distance themselves from the radical views of ISIS – who have since claimed responsibility for the attacks.
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The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Saskatoon is working to educate the public on Islam and share the idea that terrorism has no race or religion.
“We just try to educate and let the people know that whatever you see on TV or whatever is going on in the world in the name of ISIS or Al-Qaeda, all of these terrorist organizations. They have literally nothing to do with the name of Islam,” said imam Khalid Minhas.
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