Gathering at Nunavut mosque rallies support against hate

On a sunny, blustery Tuesday, with a wind chill of -38 C, about 50 Iqaluit residents came to the city’s mosque to commit to fostering warmth and tolerance in this Arctic city.

Their gathering came after 50 worshippers were killed last Friday in the New Zealand mosque shootings, which left at least that many injured.

“We must all stand united in our actions against racism in all its forms: whether it is when our Indigenous sisters go missing or are murdered, or in the fight for social equity for our Inuit brothers and sisters or a fight against the killing of black people,” said Abdoul Ibn Houssein of Iqaluit’s mosque, speaking on the second floor of the mosque in the Nunavut capital, some 15,000 kilometres away from Christchurch, N.Z.

Abdoul Ibn Houssein speaks on Tuesday at the Iqaluit mosque, drawing on Inuit values to talk about the need for caring, solidarity and tolerance. (Photo by Jane George)

In his welcome to the 50 or so people of all ages and backgrounds who sat in chairs on the rug-covered second floor of the mosque, Ibn Houssein called on Inuit values and principles of inuuqatigiitsarniq or respecting others, tunnganarniq or openness, and piliriqatigiiniq or working together for a common cause.

“The warmth and support we receive in Iqaluit is unparalleled and we are proud to call ourselves members of such a loving, caring and diverse community,” said Ibn Houssein, a Government of Nunavut employee, who has lived in Iqaluit for nine years, where he owns a company, Nunavut Moving and Services.

But Ibn Houssein also had a serious message against extremism of all sorts.

“Emotions can blind a person and can cause one to become oppressive. Yes, we condemn the far-right extremists and their terrorist attacks against the Muslims but we also condemn the other extremists, such as ISIS,” he said.

“We do not condone any form of extremism or fanaticism. We condemn all of it. In addition, we do not sympathize with them.”

Ibn Houssein said the mosque attacks provide an opportunity for Nunavut leaders to provide more and better support in the domain of mental health, including more social programs that will target children and youth, as well as men and women, parents and elders.

Roughly 300 Muslims live in Iqaluit, which has a population of about 8,000, although other Muslims live outside the capital.

“We are proud Iqalummiut and Nunavummiut, and we look forward to working together with our brothers and sisters in this community and Nunavut to make it a more just and equitable place,” Ibn Houssein said.

Others, including RCMP member Denis Lambe, city councillor Kuthula Matshazi, Nunavut’s deputy premier David Akeeagok and Iqaluit MLAs George Hickes and Adam Lightstone also spoke.

Lightstone, who has been vocal in the Nunavut legislature about combatting domestic violence in the territory, said Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism and hate must end.

Clayton Greaves, an Iqaluit resident who works in social services, was among those in the audience who rose up to say a few words. He quoted the late social activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” acknowledging that such a terrible event reminds us of our humanity.

A young Inuk boy rose up to say that watching the news about the attacks had made him feel sad.

After everyone had finished speaking, some wrote messages on a whiteboard left for that purpose. Letters dropped off at the mosque earlier were also on display.

The mosque in Iqaluit opened in 2016, and today the Islamic Society of Iqaluit also operates the Arctic Food Bank, which this Saturday will again distribute food to those in need in Iqaluit.