In the wake of the Orlando nightclub shootings, leaders of the Islamic Society of Akron and Kent condemned the “cruel, cold-blooded massacre,” pledged solidarity with the victims and their families and distanced the community from the lone gunman.
“This heinous act of violence by a deranged man with a Muslim background is utterly indefensible. This morally reprehensible act is also unquestionably wrong and doubly misguided, particularly when it is committed in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,” said Ghulam N. Mir, ISAK director of public relations. “This month is meant to instill patience, empathy and self-restraint among the followers of the faith — not to act out of anger, cruelty and disregard for life and dignity of the honorable men and women the terrorist just murdered.”
Mir said that local members of the Islamic community are standing with other faith communities in praying for the victims and their families. He and Faheem Shaikh, president of ISAK, asked people not to judge Muslims based on the horrendous act of the gunman in Orlando.
“This sad occasion is particularly tragic when it occurs only days after Americans and people around the world celebrated the life and mourned the death of Muhammad Ali, a great Muslim American hero,” Shaikh said.
“Muhammad Ali himself had recently condemned extremism and violence in the name of any religion, including Islam. Islam, which by its very name means peace, cannot be reconciled with this paradox between the true faith of Islam and the violence committed in its name. ISAK sends its condolences to the families of the victims.”
Local Muslims are also answering the call of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to donate blood in the name of the victims of the mass shooting, to contribute money to an effort to raise funds for the families and victims of the shooting at www.launchgood.com/orlando and to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.
“As a civil rights organization that works to end bigotry and hatred, CAIR-Cleveland stands in solidarity with the Florida LGBTQ community at this time of great sorrow for our entire country,” said Julia Shearson, executive director of the Cleveland Chapter of CAIR. “As Americans we must come together as a people and work to build a society based on peace, mutual respect and understanding among all people. There should be no place for hate in our country.”