Muslims Are Sharing Totally Mundane Things About Their Mosques To Make A Powerful Point
Mosques are places of peaceful worship, fellowship and community; just like any place of worship: church, synagogue or temple.
Dutch game developer and gaming diversity advocate Rami Ismail was tired of seeing the media emphasizing that victims of the Christchurch shootings belonged to "peaceful mosques," as though that were not the standard.
Ismail wanted to do something about it, to change the way the public thinks of mosques and the communities that exist there, so he posted the following tweet asking for input from other Muslims.
"Since several news networks emphasize that the mosques at the Christchurch shootings were #PeacefulMosques, as if most aren't:"
"Hey muslims, tell me something painfully mundane and common at your mosque, whether you visit it five times a day or one time a year."
"Non-muslims, RT."
Since several news networks emphasize that the mosques at the Christchurch shootings were #PeacefulMosques, as if m… https://t.co/lwbh1zrzVh— Rami Ismail (رامي) (@Rami Ismail (رامي)) 1552621315
Ismail then started off the hashtag by sharing a personal experience.
At my #PeacefulMosques, we used to have this 5-ish year old kid that would always run in front of everyone during p… https://t.co/yzBOXJ1pRe— Rami Ismail (رامي) (@Rami Ismail (رامي)) 1552621483
Others soon followed suit, and #PeacefulMosques went viral.
Compassion for other species was a common thread.
@tha_rami When I went to my local mosque the other day, this little boy was feeding water to a thirsty cat ❤️… https://t.co/E89a3wm60X— Nishard (@Nishard) 1552676555
@tha_rami A CAT!!! Pretty sure every mosque has a few inhabitant cats, strolling around, lazily lie itself during F… https://t.co/rP0556dlkp— Bentara Alam (@Bentara Alam) 1552622102
@tha_rami Every single day, the imam will feed the birds for almost 40 years now. #PeacefulMosques #Canberramosque https://t.co/Wvi5Kczjvw— Hamnah Rico (@Hamnah Rico) 1552713842
Lots of everyday concerns and anecdotes you would see from any place of worship.
@tha_rami @ignitesthestars The regular announcement of "Could license plate [NUMBERS HERE] please move"— finn skywalker conspiracy theorist PhD, since '15 (@finn skywalker conspiracy theorist PhD, since '15) 1552622505
@tha_rami Not my mosque but when I was 17 I went to an island in Istanbul&we missed the last ferry back. no money f… https://t.co/TxW6Y8K36Q— Ceylan Ş. (@Ceylan Ş.) 1552669998
@tha_rami @iamavraman At my #peacefulmosques we have this elderly man who as a side job is a driving instructor for… https://t.co/duStz9LbQU— Hamza Khan (@Hamza Khan) 1552672809
A sense of loving community can always be found.
@tha_rami i haven't been to masjid in years, but i will always remember sitting in a little room of laughing auntie… https://t.co/ahjH9vnJ4i— rimi 🍌🐟 (@rimi 🍌🐟) 1552623789
@tha_rami Yesterday or two days ago I prayed at the mosque after work, took a nap, read Quran and did some Arabic l… https://t.co/X3ZUsk2zZl— #RedPitch⚽❤ Stan Account💚 (@#RedPitch⚽❤ Stan Account💚) 1552662496
After the atrocity that was the Christchurch shootings, these stories of the mundane happenings at Mosques are a stark reminder of exactly what the world lost that day: good people who were just trying to worship peacefully. People with loving families and mundane lives, with everyday dreams and problems—just like everyone else.