Dear Editor
It has been only two years since I moved to Canada, and all the things I had heard about Canada turned out to be true. The winters are cold, the country is beautiful from coast to coast and Canadians are a most open minded, welcoming and kind people. I am in love with this country, which I now proudly call my home.
And incidents such as the shooting in Quebec won’t make me feel any different! As Prime Minister Trudeau has said, “We are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them.”
Let us not close our minds, let us open our hearts instead. It is in tragic moments like this that we must come together in order to move forward. We won’t be broken by this violence and our sense of spirit and unity will only strengthen.
My community, the Ahmadiyya Muslims, and I open the doors of our mosques for dialogue. We wholeheartedly welcome anyone who wants to get to know us and we won’t shy away from promoting peace and harmony. Our mosques will stay open, we will continue to come for prayers and we will continue to remove misconceptions regarding our peaceful religion.
Let us gather as one community, as one country and as one family. Let us conquer fear and hatred with love and compassion. Let us continue to make Canada more beautiful by practicing the teaching of “love for all, hatred for none.”
Misbah Tariq
Lloydminister, Sask.
