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#MyMosque hashtag shows packed mosques in the wake of New Zealand attack

'I want to reclaim a sense of peace in my house of worship. Peace the shooters tried to take from us.'

 

Elizabeth VanMetre

IRL

Posted on Mar 16, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 4:57 pm CDT

In the face of the terror attack in New Zealand on Friday, Muslim communities around the world came together and prayed, sharing a powerful message on Twitter.  

Photos of packed mosques filled social media, accompanied by the hashtag #MyMosque just hours after terrorists went on a shooting spree at two mosques in Christchurch, killing 49 people. The attack was broadcast on Facebook Live. Four people were initially taken into custody, but police currently have three in custody, according to the New York Times. One person, Brenton Tarrant, has been charged with murder

Mosques in major cities around the world heightened security following the attack. Those open for prayer were guarded by armed police officers in New York City, according to the New York Times.

The New York Police Department released a tweet committing “to the safety of all houses of worship and freedom to practice your religion freely without any fear.” Alongside the message, the NYPD shared a photo of an officer speaking to a group of men during Fajer prayer.

Muslim digital advocacy organization MPower Change called for Muslims to use the #MyMosque hashtag along with photos of their mosques and prayer services. They called the move a “small action” that would show that the Muslim community “won’t be deterred or intimidated.”

Muslim communities responded with images of resilience.

And people found they weren’t alone. @Mohammad_Moussa shared that he arrived at his mosque early for Friday’s prayer and by the end, “it was packed to the brim.”

https://twitter.com/Mohammad_Moussa/status/1106663924605186048

“I want to reclaim a sense of peace in my house of worship. Peace the shooters tried to take from us,” @stobah wrote on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/aaminah_b/status/1106626037667037186

Non-Muslim allies showed up to support their Muslim community members, too.

H/T Huffington Post

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*First Published: Mar 16, 2019, 10:43 am CDT