In a service of remembrance filled with emotional words of pain and grief, it was the moments where there were no words that triggered tears.
And the tears came when a small, quiet bell tolled for the 50 victims of two separate mosque attacks Friday in Christchurch, New Zealand. The scene unfolded at the “One Community, One World” service Sunday night organized by the Islamic Society of Columbus Indiana and held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus on Goeller Boulevard.
An overflow crowd of about 250 people, including people seated in the lobby, attended to hear more than a dozen speakers of varied faiths — Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Unitarian Universalists — talk about the importance of a small diverse community coming together in solidarity with local Muslims, many of whom were well-known to those in the service.
Wan Baba, a member of the Islamic Society and a member of the Columbus Human Rights Commission, broke down more than once reading brief summaries about the lives of some of those killed while photos of the victims were displayed on a nearby screen. She was openly emotional when she came to 3-year-old Macad Ibrahim, the youngest victim who died in his mother’s arms.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
“This is getting really hard,” Baba said, sniffling and trying to stifle more tears.
She had to stop briefly when she got to a 16-year-old victim.
“My own daughter is 16,” Baba said.
In the crowd, a woman near the back of the church made no move to hide her tears. A man seated a few chairs away stared straight ahead with eyes brimming with the same emotion. A volunteer brought a box of tissues near the front for another person who attended the service.
Sherman Franz stood near the end of the gathering to acknowledge Baba’s presentation. His voice broke with his simple statement.
“Thank you for showing the pictures,” Franz said and then quickly sat down.
Those attending included Mayor Jim Lienhoop and his wife, Pam; members of the Columbus Human Rights Commission; local business leaders; members of Bartholomew County Indivisible, which has taken a strong stand against hatred; and local Christian ministers.
Mariam Nakyobe, a member of the Islamic Society, generated the strongest response at the gathering with a sustained standing ovation as she spoke about the need for people to reach out and get to know those who are different. She said that, when she lived in India before moving to Columbus, people regularly wanted to know about her background and more, partly because she stood out with her hijab, the traditional Muslim head covering.
“Here, people are slightly more reserved,” Nakyobe said.
She acknowledged that local Muslims have faced fear since Friday, though each Muslim speaker profusely thanked the Columbus Police Department for their work to keep the local Islamic center a safe place.
“We don’t have to stretch our minds very much to to see that this reality (of killing) could very well be us,” Nakyobe said.
Probably the second strongest reaction came when the Rev. Fred King, who spoke of the equality and preciousness of all in the eyes of God, told the crowd at one point, “America is already great. We don’t need to be made great again.”
The crowd applauded loudly.
Nic Cable, the local Unitarian Universalist minister, sounded an upbeat note near the end of the event when he spoke of the unity symbolized by the turnout.
“How will we respond in the aftermath of such a tragedy?” Cable asked. “The answer is clear. We will come together … naming our solidarity.”
