Muslims react to Paris attacks

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Hamilton’s Muslim community is condemning the attacks in Paris and elsewhere. At the same time, they’re asking members of their congregation to be cautious of a possible backlash. It’s in the delicate days after a terror attack that we are forced to confront the reality that places of worship, like the Mosque, could be subject to a misguided attack. It isn’t likely, but it has happened before.

A regular afternoon prayer brings nearly three dozen Muslim men to their place of worship. Afterwards they take time to acknowledge the attacks from last week.

“We all know that the only kind of people suffering from these acts are the innocent people” announced Imam Sayed Tora. “There is no way that anybody can justify such, you know, violent acts.”

Imam Sayed Tora is like many religious leaders condemning the attacks in Paris and Beruit, but because ISIS claims to represent Muslims, his congregation has to look over their shoulders. “There are people out there who apply, what we call, a blanket rule.Things like this happen. 1 or 2 people that do this, it affects the whole religion of Islam which is unfortunate, but you know this is not the first time it happened.”

Yesterday a Hindu temple in Kitchener had its windows broken. On Saturday a Mosque in Peterborough was deliberately set on fire. There is no confirmation that these acts are backlash for Paris, but Imam Tora has asked members to be careful.

“In Hamilton we have had, in the past, some incidents.”

Just days after the September 11th attacks in New York City, the Hindu Samaj Temple was set on fire and windows were broken at the Hamilton Mountain Mosque. 2 men were eventually convicted. The temple took years to rebuild.

While there has been a backlash in a few circumstances, the Imam says that over time it’s actually had the opposite effect. In the years following the Hindu Simaj arson, Tora says that the larger community grew closer as they worked to support the rebuilding of the temple, and the same is happening in Peterbrough.

“The community is already pulling together and churches and other organizations are coming to support the Muslim community against this unfortunate incident.”

So there is a fear that something could happen, but because things of this nature have happened before, the Muslim association of Hamilton has already been in contact with Hamilton police. Also, they made sure that security is a bit tighter here at the Mosque.