Sault imam addresses city council, pleads for Gaza ceasefire

Imam Saber Alkilani from the Islamic Association of Sault Ste. Marie spoke at the beginning of tonight's meeting of city council.

The imam, who officiates at the mosque on Towers Street, asked Mayor Matthew Shoemaker to use his influence to help achieve a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The following is the full text of Imam Alkilani's remarks, followed by a response from Mayor Shoemaker:

Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, in the name of Allah the Creator for every existing living, the one who created us from male and female, from Adam and Eve, Assalamu Alaikum which means peace be upon you all, this is our greeting for everyone we meet.

The reply for this greeting is: Peace be upon you too.

First, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to every one of you and a special thanks to our Mayor Mr. Shoemaker and Ms. Rachel Tyczinski [city clerk] for having us tonight.

We appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Why are we here tonight?

We came to express some of our wishes to you.

We are here for a noble cause. 

We came to ask for ceasefire in the Middle East in Gaza, for the benefit of both parties, and to let all the humanitarian aid go through to the people in need.

There are innocent people – children, women, elderly people – dying for no reasons.

Part of our belief is to save people's lives.

We came to you because you are our representative and you can take our voices to a higher level.

We thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to meet with you and to deliver this message on behalf of our Muslim community in Sault Ste. Marie, again deeply thanks to every one of you makes this happen tonight. 

May ask God Almighty to spread peace, kindness and love all over the globe, Ameen.

Thank you for listening.

Response from Mayor Matthew Shoemaker

Thank you, Saber.

For my part I would be remiss if I didn't note that the ongoing violence in the Middle East has brought upon a considerable rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism.

I have said and will continue to say that in Sault Ste. Marie, we are a place where people of all faiths practise their faith openly and safely and we will continue to be that for the indefinite future.

We, along with you, grieve the loss of life in that region and also hope that it comes to an end quickly.