Christchurch attack: Houston Muslim community expresses solidarity with victims

Vigil was attended by various religious leaders, lawmakers

HOUSTON, TEXAS: The Muslim community in the city of Houston gathered to mourn and express solidarity with the New Zealand terror attack victims on Sunday.

In the aftermath of the incident that killed at least 50 people, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) arranged a vigil which was attended by several people including Mayor Sylvester Turner.

During the vigil, religious leaders expressed their views over the incident and the crowd paid respects to mourn the tragedy.





Families made it a point to include their children in the act of unity, stating that it was crucial they understood the gravity of the incident.

In an exchange of remarks, US lawmakers expressed their resolve to eradicate global terrorism. Congressman Al Green said, "White Nationalism is on the rise and there is a need for people sitting in the highest offices across the nation to speak with care to avoid such incidents from happening".

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee supported the stance. “We have to unite and work hard to stamp out terrorism and bigotry from the world. No one should get killed in a place of worship," she maintained.



ISGH President Sohail Syed said that condolences and collective mourning alone is not going to solve the problem. "We all must work together to support elected officials in making the right decisions and care for people and communities across the US and in the rest of the world," he added.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales also participated in the event.

Consul General of Pakistan in Houston Aisha Farooqi condemned the attack and paid respect to the families of the bereaved.

On March 15, at least 50 people were killed and dozens wounded in the deadly attack on a mosque in New Zealand's city of Christchurch. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was “one of the darkest days in New Zealand” after she referred to it as terrorism.