Editor:
An open letter to people of the Sunshine Coast, the people of Christchurch, New Zealand, the Muslim community of New Zealand, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The recent shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, targeting Muslims at prayer has broken hearts, shattered trust AND created compassion and determination to build peace. The deaths occurred on Friday, March 15, and while the sense of shock and betrayal was still resonating, and grief for those killed and injured was stirring around the world, messages of solidarity, kindness and actions of inclusion and protection also began to arise. Around mosques, masjids, and Islamic centres, hands were linked to build walls of safety and witness. Flowers were laid and candles lit, offering messages of comfort, empathy and support.
Terror and violence emerges in many parts of the world, and hatred, xenophobia and racism find cracks to take root, when fear and silence give them space to grow. But it does not have to be this way.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, residents of the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, gathered on the beach on Saturday, March 23, to grieve together for the loss of lives, the injured and their families, and the wrecked innocence of the community of Christchurch. We stated our commitment to stand for kindness, inclusion, peace and safety in the communities in which we live. We abhor racism, and will call it out where we see and hear it emerge. We commit to non-violence, to creating welcome for immigrants and refugees, for peoples of all faiths. We know that unless we are of First Nations descent, of the shíshálh or Squamish peoples, we are all settlers on this land. We therefore pledge to be good neighbours on this land we share, and to be builders of reconciliation, justice and kind community.
To the Muslim community of New Zealand, we grieve your deep loss. We pledge to remember those killed. We named the dead, and wrote their names on a log at our beach. To members of the Muslim community on the Coast, we offer our friendship, our solidarity and protection. We will stand with you if you need support.
To the wider community of Christchurch, thank you for your actions, which declare that you are a place of welcome and inclusion. This violent and hateful aberration must never be repeated. Your grief will fuel your resilience and your actions for peace and safety. Thank you.
To Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, we are immensely grateful for your leadership and your compassion. Your determination to fight the scourge of assault weapons is inspiring! May you influence other leaders worldwide to show such courage! You have offered an image of emotional strength and the power of a broken-open heart. You have our admiration and gratitude.
To this breaking, aching world, there are so many places where ethnic violence, religiously fuelled violence, hatred of “the other” and fear of scarcity drive humans to act in treacherous ways. We choose peace! We choose life! May we all choose courage and community over fear and silence. That choice is what will turn the world around.
Dianne Baker, Davis Bay, Jan Olafson, Gibsons (Co-signed by 37 attendees of the March 23 vigil)
