Islamic Center marks somber Eid al-Adha following shooting that claimed three lives
By Ryan Hill
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Eid al-Adha is a day of celebration in the Islamic faith and falls on the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
“Today, for many Muslims all over the world, is a day of celebration. We call it Eid al-Adha, which is the day of sacrifice,” Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego said.
Plenty of people attended daily prayer on the Muslim holy day at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
But the rows of flowers, signs and police presence at the mosque are hard to miss, given what happened a week ago to Imam Taha Hassane and his community.
“This day of celebration is different than all the days of celebration that we have observed in the past,” Hassane said.
Hassane told ABC 10News it’s also a day of sorrow following such a tragic loss.
“Myself and my community members still carry in their minds and hearts what happened here and the memories of our brothers who were murdered right here in this place,” Hassane said.
Last Monday, two gunmen rushed into the Islamic Center, shooting and killing three men, a security guard, and two community members, at the mosque. They’re hailed as heroes for stopping the gunmen from getting further access to the center and the school, which was filled with children.
“Our community is coming back stronger than before. And the number of worshippers that we have seen after the attack is more than before. So, we are seeing more people coming to worship, and this is part of the resilience of my community,” Hassane said.
This community and the rest of San Diego are learning more about the shooters and whether what happened could have been prevented.
Hassane told ABC 10News that while he doesn’t want to talk about the shooters, he says it’s up to lawmakers to take what happened here as a lesson.
“Try to step in and take actions that can prevent such crimes, such attacks from happening in the future, not only in a mosque, but at any house of worship, at any educational institutions, schools wherever,” Hassane said.
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