There’s been a lot of healing and reflection for many of the Muslim people in Kamloops since the shootings in New Zealand last week.

Kamloops Islamic Association Director Umme Mansoory says these events, while tragic, can be used as a learning opportunity.

“My husband and I teach Sunday School on the weekend,” she said. “We had this conversation with the children in our class and we said this shouldn’t make us feel scared. If anything, we should use this as a learning opportunity.”

“How can we go forward? How do we view this situation? How do we process our emotions regarding this situation? We centered the conversation more about that as opposed to feeling scared.”

Mansoory adds the mosque – like any other other place of worship – is a place of refuge, and people have a right to feel safe there.

“I didn’t want this to hold me back,” she noted. “If we do that, that is exactly what the perpetrator wanted. He wanted people to feel scared in a place that people should feel safe.”

“And we don’t want to give him that.”

Mansoory adds the Kamloops community has been very welcoming, as many members are still feeling the effects of the 2017 mosque shooting in Quebec City.

There is a vigil planned tonight at the Ayesha Mosque in Knutsford between 6 PM and 7 PM.

(Photo via TRU Website)