Hamilton rally remembers the victims of terror

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A candlelight vigil was held outside Hamilton city hall tonight.

The people there showed their passion and desire to see peace in a world that feels corrupted by the hate ISIS has inspired. The focus was to remember not only the innocent victims killed in Paris, but the people murdered by terrorists in countries around the world on what seems like an almost daily basis.

The issue that dominated the vigil tonight was the Canadian government’s promise to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees into this country. People here begged Canadians not to judge refugees and to welcome them with open arms.

Imam Hosam Helal asked the crowd, “Do we value human life in general or does it depend on where that life is? Does it depend on what nation that life has fallen in? Does it depend on the language that life speaks? Does it depend on the race?”

Among candles on a windy night, a crowd of 60 people gathered outside city hall. They talked about extending our freedoms to people fleeing the grips of war.

Lebanese immigrant Ali Cheib was greeted with applause when he declared: “upwards of a thousand Syrian Refugees are going to become Hamiltonians. We should welcome them with open arms.”

Hamilton East-Stoney Creek Liberal MP Bob Bratina says the government will stay true to its promise: 25,000 refugees will cross our borders. For once, politicians of different parties stood together. Hamilton Centre New Democrat David Christopherson addressed the crowd, saying, “everybody gets to live in a country like Canada and even we are not immune, but we are not afraid and that’s the biggest message tonight.”

To applause, his voice rising, he called out “we are NOT AFRAID!!!!”

Local Muslims say ISIS does not represent their religion.

Zailab, 13: “There’s no religion in this world that would support killing.”

Shaharyar Shafiq: “a couple of people doing wrong things, they are not the face of the world and of the people, so let them come and join this country and this great nation.”

But people say the nation is torn right now with fear and suspicion.

Todd Peavoy: “Equality is the most important thing to most people and the freedoms we have in Canada should be shared.”

Children from middle eastern families who call Canada home sang our national anthem with pride; a generation uncertain of its future. Ayaan Khan: “I just think it’s horrible. Why does there have to be war, can’t there be peace?”

Organizers say the solution isn’t to send in guns and tanks to blow up terrorists, but to instead stand together as one, and to provide peaceful support and good governance to the countries infiltrated by ISIS.