Muslim diaspora holds peace march in Poznań
PR dla Zagranicy
Alicja Baczyńska
30.11.2015 14:48
Some 300 people came together in the mid-western city of Poznań on Sunday to protest against the renewed wave of Islamophobia taking its toll on Poland’s ethnic minorities.
Several hundred people took part in the Together Against Terrorism March in Poznań on Sunday. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
The march, held under the slogan “Muslims against Terrorism and Racism”, was launched by the local Muslim Center for Culture and Education.
The peace protesters marched under banners “Stop islamophobia. Fascists are the real threat,” and “Solidarity is our weapon,” among others.
As the organisers behind the event underlined, the local Muslim community strongly opposes using Islam as an excuse to perpetuate violence by “criminals who wage war, causing chaos and suffering,” referring to the recent Islamic fundamentalist attacks that killed over 120 people in Paris.
Poznań-based imam Youssef Chadid (R). Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
“We condemn all forms of terrorism and stand in solidarity with the French nation and all those who fell victim to terrorist attacks around the world,” local imam Youssef Chadid told the peace protesters.
“Some people think that we are responsible for the extreme violence, [but] we are here to say that we are the followers of Islam, a religion which values peace, and respect for all people regardless of their denomination or skin colour,” he said. “Islam is a religion of peace.”
Recent weeks have seen a rise in racially-motivated crimes in Poznań. Early November, a Syrian national was hospitalized after he was brutally attacked in the city center.
Sunday’s march was held just two days after members of the Muslim community and ethnic Poles walked side by side in a peace protest in the southwestern city of Wrocław on Friday. (aba/rk)
Source: IAR