Downtown vigil recalls deceased family and friends in Iraq, including a 14-year-old soccer fan
The B.C. Catholic
Candles flickered in the rain outside the Vancouver Public Library as about 100 people honoured the victims of a massive attack in Baghdad.
“It’s the worst terrorist attack in Iraq’s history so far,” said Mudaffer Al-Mudaffer, a local pediatrician who lost a family member in the attack.
Nearly 300 people died as a truck bomb exploded in a busy shopping district in the Iraqi capital July 3.
Baghdad residents, who had been buying new clothes and preparing for Eid, a festive Muslim occasion that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, found themselves mourning and searching for bodies of loved ones instead.
Al-Mudaffer lit a candle outside the Vancouver Public Library July 7, in honour of 14-year-old Zain Al-Abedeen Al-Mudaffer.
The boy, his cousin’s son, was three weeks away from his 15th birthday and an avid soccer fan. He had gone out to a caf‚ with friends to watch Italy play Germany in the European soccer championships the night of the explosion.
“He was wearing new clothes, which the family had bought for him to celebrate Eid.” Al-Mudaffer said the three-day event is as important and joyous to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians.
The boy phoned home near the end of the game to let his mom know he’d soon be on his way home. That’s the last his family heard from him.
“The poor guy just lost his life for watching a soccer match.”
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Muddafer said the ferocity of the explosion, which burned and melted some victims beyond recognition, has his family members in Iraq worried that it won’t be the last.
Memorial organizer Sahar Najeb said she felt compelled to do something in Vancouver.
“I wish I could go there, and donate blood, and help these families, but I am overseas. To light the candles, that’s all I can do.”
Participants sang Iraq’s national anthem and lit candles for innocent victims like Zain.
“Muslims, Christians, all different types of people showed up. It was a really good mix. When we prayed, everyone prayed in their religion.”
On the same day, about 2,000 people gathered at Queen’s Park in Toronto for the same cause.
“It tells me that we are all humans,” said Al-Muddaffer. “We feel for each other. We share emotions regardless of our race and colour and background.”
He paraphrased famous words from a Muslim imam: “There are two types of humans: either a brother in religion or a brother in humanity.”
“It’s very important for people to show solidarity with the victims and families. It gives us hope that change will come.”
