'I’m a Muslim. Ask me anything': Congregation assembles in Perth to debunk myths about Islam
Perth Muslims have publicly condemned the Manchester bombing by gathering in the city's CBD to remove misconceptions about their religion, and were met with high fives.
Imam Kamran Tahir and members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim congregation gathered in the middle of the city's Murray Street mall on Saturday and urged passers-by to approach them to ask about their faith.
The group wore T-shirts that read “I’m a Muslim. Ask me anything.” They held signs that mirrored those messages and also read "I condemn terrorism" in bold letters.
Mr Tahir said the suicide bomber's actions at the Ariana Grande concert last week, which killed 22 and injured at least 100 others, went against the Islamic beliefs.
The Imam told the West Australian that Islam teaches love for all and hatred for none.
#Muslims went out to #Perth CBD and condemned the attacks in Manchester
Great way to remove any misconceptions that people might hold. pic.twitter.com/uYtgKPXJIk— Imam Kamran M Tahir (@humble_servnt) May 27, 2017
“It was heartbreaking for us to see in the name of our faith that this atrocity was happening and that beloved human beings were unfortunately being killed in the name of Islam,” Mr Tahir said.
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"It was essential to show that we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people who mourned the unfortunate deaths of those who lost their lives in Manchester.”
He said his display was met with positive reactions from passers-by and planned to repeat the exercise next weekend.
“A lot of the people walking past were giving us hugs, high-fiving us, shaking our hands and really appreciating what we are doing.
“Of course, you had the odd one or two who didn’t like what we had to say, but the majority were really appreciative.”
