Catalonia’s Muslim community stands firm against terrorism
After the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and the coastal town Cambrils, in which 15 people have so far lost their lives, Catalan citizens have showed more unity and solidarity than ever. Catalan society has demonstrated that Barcelona, and Catalonia, is open to the world and is a land of peace, as Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, expressed it hours after the terrorist attack that took place in the heart of Barcelona.
Some of the loudest voices in Catalonia condemning the attacks have come from the Muslim and Moroccan communities. On Saturday, just two days after terrorism struck Catalonia, Muslims in Barcelona clamored in favor of peace and against violence, fear and hate in a protest organized by the Catalan Islamic Cultural Center on the Rambla, where the van plowed into crowds of innocent people enjoying one of the city’s most emblematic streets.
The demonstrators gathered to explicitly condemn terrorism and to dissociate their religion from these acts. “Islam is peace,” “I’m a Muslim, not a terrorist,” and “We are all Barcelona” were some of the visible statements during the gathering. The attendees stressed their stance in favor of peace and coexistence and against the stigmatization of Muslims.
In the small town of Ripoll, where the terrorists lived, the Muslim community also condemned terrorism in demonstrations held in front of the town hall over the weekend.
Different communities have released statements condemning the attacks, among them the Pakistani community, saying: “We reject all kinds of terrorist acts that kill innocent people around the world.”
After the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and the coastal town Cambrils, in which 15 people have so far lost their lives, Catalan citizens have showed more unity and solidarity than ever. Catalan society has demonstrated that Barcelona, and Catalonia, is open to the world and is a land of peace, as Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, expressed it hours after the terrorist attack that took place in the heart of Barcelona.
Some of the loudest voices in Catalonia condemning the attacks have come from the Muslim and Moroccan communities. On Saturday, just two days after terrorism struck Catalonia, Muslims in Barcelona clamored in favor of peace and against violence, fear and hate in a protest organized by the Catalan Islamic Cultural Center on the Rambla, where the van plowed into crowds of innocent people enjoying one of the city’s most emblematic streets.
The demonstrators gathered to explicitly condemn terrorism and to dissociate their religion from these acts. “Islam is peace,” “I’m a Muslim, not a terrorist,” and “We are all Barcelona” were some of the visible statements during the gathering. The attendees stressed their stance in favor of peace and coexistence and against the stigmatization of Muslims.
In the small town of Ripoll, where the terrorists lived, the Muslim community also condemned terrorism in demonstrations held in front of the town hall over the weekend.
Different communities have released statements condemning the attacks, among them the Pakistani community, saying: “We reject all kinds of terrorist acts that kill innocent people around the world.”