Dozens of people, many from province’s Muslim community, gathered on the steps of the Alberta legislature Sunday afternoon to denounce the violence perpetrated by of ISIS.
“They don’t represent us, they don’t represent Islam,” said Zahara Naseri, who is originally from Iraq.
“They are hurting Muslim people more than anyone else.”
Naseri said the current fighting in Iraq and Syria has affected many people in Alberta — the brother of one of her own friends was killed in combat with ISIS fighters in Iraq.
Naseri said many in her community feel helpless in the face of the violence done by ISIS in the name of Islam. The only option for many, she said, was to make it clear that it is an extremist group, one that the vast majority of Muslims are opposed to.
“We can let people know that they don’t represent us.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he would put forward a motion in the House of Commons this week, asking for an extension for Canada’s six-month operation fighting ISIS in Iraq.
He would not say if that extension would include Canadian involvement in fighting ISIS in Syria.
Safana Makhdoom, like others at the rally, feels Canada’s best option would be to stay out of the conflict.
“We don’t believe in a military solution to this. We believe it is an ideology.”
Instead, she said, ISIS must be defeated through ideological means. Makhdoom said more must be done to divert youth who are at risk of being convinced to join ISIS. As well, if must be made clear that the group is denounced by the Muslim community and seen as a “perversion of Islam.”
“We don’t believe in killing people, period. We believe in dialogue … The amount of muslims who are tending towards violent jihadism is very very small,” Makhdoom said.
“Just like the rest of Canadians, we’re just trying to live and eat and have look after our families and just have a good and satisfying life.”