In the days following the tragic attacks in Paris which took the lives of 129 people, a Muslim man blindly offered hugs in a show of trust to residents of the shaken city.
A video posted online shows the man, who has not been named, standing blindfolded with arms outstretched near the Place de la Republique.
“I’m a Muslim,” the signs at the man’s feet read. “I’m told I’m a terrorist.”
“I trust you, do you trust me? If yes, hug me.”
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As a crowd gathered, dozens of people took the man up on his offer. Some cried as they hugged the man, and appeared to clutch him tightly.
Islamic State militants have taken responsibility for the coordinated attacks on Nov. 13, inciting a wave of Islamophobic and anti-refugee sentiment. Meanwhile, the refugee and migrant crisis shows no end, as waves of people continue to arrive in Europe every day.
The video ends with the man taking off his blindfold and thanking those who hugged him, stating he wanted to send a message with his actions.
“I am a Muslim, but that doesn’t make me a terrorist,” the man said.
“A terrorist is a terrorist, someone willing to kill another human being over nothing. A Muslim would never do that, our religion forbids it.”
This is not the first time Muslims have blindly reached out to their communities in an attempt to tackle Islamophobia.
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In January 2015 a video went viral of a Muslim man standing blindfolded on a Toronto street corner for the “Blind Trust Project“, as he’s embraced by strangers. The video, posted to YouTube, has more than 2.5 million views.
“The response was touching and inspiring,” the video’s caption states. “We wish to break down barriers and spread awareness about Islamophobia.”
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