About 60 people gathered at Mission Point in Davis Bay on Saturday to remember the victims of the March 15 attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Fifty people were killed and dozens others injured while worshipping at the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques.
The Davis Bay vigil was organized by Sunshine Coast residents Dianne Baker and Jan Olafson. Several speakers shared their thoughts, including a former New Zealand resident, who thanked those who attended.
Rev. Clarence Li of St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Sechelt gave a short reading. April Struthers, a consultant who worked on a protocol on “critical incidents” of discrimination for the Sunshine Coast, also spoke.
Attendees lit candles and laid flowers and observed two minutes of silence to remember the victims. To close out the vigil, figs were passed through the crowd and shared as a gesture of inclusion and hospitality, echoing themes of breaking the fast of Ramadan, passing of food during Seder and breaking of bread, according to Baker.
“Whenever there are tragedies of this nature, we can bear them alone or we can share the burden and remind ourselves that the world is not only a place of hurt and darkness but also a place where commitment to healing, justice, reconciliation and love can be lifted up and shared,” said Baker prior to the vigil.
People were also encouraged to sign an open letter expressing commitment to building safe community on the Sunshine Coast and in support of the acts of inclusion and protection the New Zealand government took following the attacks. The letter will be sent to leaders of the Muslim community in Christchurch, as well as the New Zealand government. About 40 people signed it.
