(AhlulBayt News Agency) - The Quebec City mosque in Canada reopened its doors for reporters and members of the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec on Wednesday after the deadly attack on Sunday that claimed lives of six worshippers and injured 18 others.
However, the walls of the mosque still have bloodstains and bullet holes. There is blood on the carpet, tables and in footprints leading to the basement, highlighting the aftermath of the carnage.
Addressing a news conference, Mosque Vice President Mohamed Labidi said that they opened the mosque to show the world consequences of hate and Islamophobia.
"Hate can lead to carnage, to the loss of innocent life, and that's what happened in this mosque," Labidi said while adding they had been "attacked in the heart of their community."
Labidi, who was joined by other members of the mosque to share stories, also mentioned the courage of one of the victims, Azzedine Soufiane, who lost his life while saving others. The vice president said that Soufiane tried his best to protect other worshippers as the gunman entered the mosque on Sunday during evening prayers.
"He was safe behind the column there, and when he saw that the attacker recharge his gun, he ran quickly to immobilize him. "But the attacker was quicker, and he goes back and shot him directly in his body, and he fell down here. Fell down here as a hero," Labidi said while pointing towards a patch of blood on the floor where the 57-year-old died. "Without his intervention, we would have more martyrs," he added.
The shooting that took place over the weekend happened when shooters opened fire on around 40 people at 8 pm while evening prayers were held at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center.
The victims of the attack were Khaled, Abdel Al-Karim Hassane, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, and Aboubaker Thabti. All of them were immigrants who had come to Quebec to a better life.
Meanwhile, the suspect of the shooting Alexandre Bissonnette has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder. Bissonnette, a French-Canadian national, who is believed to be in his 20s, is accused of killing six people and injuring an additional 18.
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source : Ibtimes
Thursday
2 February 2017
1:16:31 PM
808943
The Quebec City mosque in Canada reopened its doors for reporters and members of the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec on Wednesday after the deadly attack on Sunday that claimed lives of six worshippers and injured 18 others.