WESTFIELD- Westfield State University will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center to honor the lives that were lost in the March 15th Massacre of Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand’s Linwood Islamic Center and Al Noor Mosque.
The vigil is being organized and hosted by the Muslim Student Organization of WSU. It is being supported by the Black Student Union, the Interfaith Center, and the WSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
In a statement to the entire student body on Friday, WSU President Ramon Torrecilha made a call for unity in the wake of the tragedy in New Zealand.
“A week following the tragic terrorist acts in New Zealand that took 50 innocent lives, New Zealand honors its fallen citizens by broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer today,” said Torrecilha, “Let us share this sentiment and stand in unity with New Zealand’s Prime Minister in denouncing the disgusting killings that have impacted the Muslim community and others here and around the globe.”
Torrecilha added that he is encouraging all students to use the event to “express our unity in the wake of these senseless acts of evil that represent a complete contrast to our ideals of peace, harmony, and inclusion.”
