As Muslims pray at the Ummah Mosque on Friday, a Halifax minister is asking people to hold hands and circle the building for a silent vigil lasting half an hour.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia officials ‘stand with victims’ of Quebec City mosque shooting
“I thought, ‘How could we show, as a community, that we want their community to feel safe and to know the community is behind them and their right to prayer and peace?'” Reverend Norm Horofker, minister of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax, said in a phone interview Thursday.
The silent vigil is open to anyone who wants to participate and is expected to start at 12:30 p.m, Horofker said.
He said he came up with the idea in response to Sunday’s deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque, which left six men dead and several people injured, and the subsequent concerns people have had regarding safety.
Horofker said he’s invited people from as many religious institutions he could find, and the invitation is for people of all faiths or lack thereof to join in.
He said that he isn’t sure how many people will show up but it’s estimated about 150 are needed to complete the circle.
A spokesperson for the Ummah Mosque told Global News they were aware of the vigil being held and said they appreciated the support.
“For us, it just seems natural to encourage and support every other faith’s tradition in the community,” Horofker said.
It’s a way to show that “the community is there to protect you,” Horofker added, noting that it is also World Interfaith Harmony Week, which “promotes harmony” between people of all religions and faiths, according to the United Nations website.
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