QF vice-chairperson HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, together with QF president Saad al-Muhannadi, ambassadors Dana Shell Smith (US) and Sa’ad Cachalia (South Africa) and Islamic scholar Professor Dr Ali Al Quradaghi led the “Qatar Solidarity Walk” from the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Centre to the Ceremonial Court on Sunday.
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
Hundreds of residents, mostly students from various universities and colleges at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City, joined hands on Sunday on a walk to express their solidarity with the victims of the Chapel Hill shooting in the US.
QF vice-chairperson HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, together with QF president Saad al-Muhannadi, ambassadors Dana Shell Smith (US) and Sa’ad Cachalia (South Africa) and Islamic scholar Professor Dr Ali Al Quradaghi led the “Qatar Solidarity Walk” from the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Centre to the Ceremonial Court. QF group executive directors Fahad Saad al-Qahtani (Administration), and Jassim Telefat (Capital Projects and Facilities) were present.
“Terrorism has no religion,” “We all have the right to live free from hate,” “#All lives matter,” and “Hate crime,” said the banners held by students as they walked to express their sympathy to the families of American Muslim students, Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife, Yusor Mohamed Abu-Salha, and her sister, Razan Mohamed Abu-Salha, who were killed in the US recently.
Another placard said, “The dead cannot cry out for justice, it is the duty of the living to do it for them” with the hashtag #ChapelHillShooting.
“This event today shows how united we are regardless of our religion, our race and nationality. People unite for the good of human beings,” said Awad al-Radi, a journalism student from Northwestern University in Qatar.
He criticised the western media saying they “completely ignored” a horrible incident unlike in the case of the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, France which was given "too much attention."
Many students who attended the event also vowed to remain united in the fight against all kinds of discrimination and hate.
For HEC Paris engineering student Abdulaziz Saud al-Thamimi, “such heinous acts” are unacceptable especially against innocent students.
Electrical engineering student Kais Khem Akhem was of the view that the Chapel Hill shooting “should not be thought of something to fear from, instead, to learn from.”
Citing his experience as a student both in the US and Qatar, he said he feels safe living in both communities that respect his views and religion.
“Education City is my second home where I can do as I please without any fear given the reasonable limitations,” he noted.
A freedom wall set up at the Ceremonial Court also saw numerous messages from students saying, “Regardless of religion and nationality, we are against terrorism and cruelty,” and “Every life counts, we don’t fall for hate.”
A video of the victims’ siblings expressing their gratitude to all those who supported them was also shown at the programme.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, QF said the activity calls on all nations to keep students safe and the future protected.
