The world is still reeling from the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. On June 12, Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people inside a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Like many other Muslims around the world, Imam Zeeshan Ahmed from the Lethbridge Islamic Centre has condemned the attack and said the horrific acts do not align with Islam.
“Such acts have nothing to do with a person’s faith or what he believed,” Ahmed said.
“Islam teaches us clearly that there’s no room for these kinds of violent acts to anybody.”
Some people have expressed concern the attack could pit the Muslim community and the LGBTQ community against one another. OUTreach Southern Alberta’s Annelies van Oers says she doesn’t want to see that happen.
“I think one of the best ways to do that is through dialogue and sitting down together and getting to know each other,” van Oers said.
“By doing so, we realize that actually, ‘you know what? We are all people. We all fundamentally crave love, and acceptance.'”
WATCH: Lethbridge community mourns victims in Orlando shooting
Although some Muslims interpret part of the Quran – Islam’s central religious text – as stating homosexuality is a sin, it is far from a view shared by all of the religion’s devotees. According to a Pew Research Center study, 45 per cent of Muslims surveyed believed the LGBTQ community should be accepted.
“We live in such a world today where there is a lot of confusion that is going on around us,” Ahmed said.
“Especially in times like this – humanity, us in general – we should all stick together.”
“Let’s not proceed with fear. Let’s not proceed with hate. But, let’s build community,” van Oers said.
Both communities will continue to heal from this tragedy and they are hoping they can lean on each other for love, acceptance and understanding.