Calgary Muslims react to Quebec City mosque terror attack: ‘this event will not derail us’

Muslim leaders in Calgary are standing together in solidarity, honouring the six people killed and eight others injured in a mass shooting inside a Quebec City mosque.

Police and public officials are treating the incident at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec on Sunday as an act of terrorism.

READ MORE: Quebec City terrorist attack on mosque kills 6, injures 8

“Nobody said, ‘we won’t come to mosque,’ the opposite happened,” Muslim Council of Calgary spokesperson Junaid Mahoon said. “It was like, let’s populate our prayer places and demonstrate this event will not derail us from coming to or being part of the community.”

WATCH: Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi told a crowd at the University of Calgary ‘My heart doesn’t break today because I’m Muslim, but because I’m human’

0:39 ‘My heart doesn’t break today because I’m Muslim, but because I’m human’: Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi

A candlelight vigil is being held at Calgary City Hall on Monday at 6:30 p.m., hosted by the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation.

Spokesperson Iman Bukhari said the goal is to have people come together in support of Quebec.

“We’re all Canadians, and we come as Canadians first.”

“We come as Canadians and we stand against this.”

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A Facebook page for the vigil states “as a community, we must stand together with the victims and one another against hatred.”

Sultan Mahmood, from Calgary’s Baitun Nur Mosque, said he felt sadness rather than apprehension.

“Somebody asked me: are you worried? I am not worried. I am disturbed…I am sad. Common Canadians do not carry this philosophy of violence, they are standing behind us Muslims.

“We are beefing up our security. We aren’t saying there’s an imminent threat, but we need to take measures.”

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Calgary Police Deputy Chief Cliff O’Brien said “none of us should be surprised by terrorism anymore” and suggested Canadians should be concerned about any “mimicked events.”

“We are stepping up patrols to look for any suspicious behaviour…to provide a level of comfort for people going to a place to pray,” O’Brien said.

“There’s a heightened level of anxiety…we will never be able to put our feet up and say, ‘we got this.’”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's a heightened level of anxiety…we will never be able to put our feet up and say, 'we got this.'"

READ MORE: Premier Notley calls for solidarity after deadly Quebec City terror attack

WATCH: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says Canadians will always stand up to hatred.

0:49 Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says ‘we will always stand up to hatred’

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called for solidarity after the attack, saying in a statement issued on Sunday that she was “heartbroken” to hear of the shooting.

“On behalf of Albertans, my heart goes out to the victims of this attack and their loved ones,” she said.

With files from Erika Tucker