Advisory: Please note that this post is about the Pulse Nightclub Massacre on June 12, 2016. It may contain sensitive and difficult to read content. Post written with narrator’s consent.
Imam Taric Rashid was highly involved in Interfaith and Muslim community in the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
It was Ramadan in June of 2016, and Rashid had finished his early prayer. He got home about 8AM. As he settled in for a nap he decided to check the news on his iPhone. CNN was reporting about a shooting at Pulse.
Shortly after he got a call from law enforcement. They asked if everyone in the community was safe. They told him to be on alert and call if anything seemed wrong around the mosque. From then on they ere in touch. There was a concern about the safety of the mosque. During Ramadan attendance is high so security had to be hired.
Iman Rashid went to the Pulse site. There were many Muslim counselors fir the survivors. They brought food and drinks.
For the next month, his schedule became incredibly busy. He was everywhere holding interfaith activities,, going to churches, and trying to stress that the violence has nothing to do with Muslim faith. The shooter was an outsider from Fort Pierce Florida.
Media from all over the world descended on the mosque. Everyday there were interviews. The mosque worked with county a and city officials. It was a hectic time. Hate filled e-mails and answering machine messages began surfacing. There was a concern that there might be a backlash much like after 9-11. Law enforcement tracked down some of the suspects. Much of his efforts were in convincing people that it is fine to go to the mosque to pray. Despite this attendance dropped.
Candle light vigils and special prayer services were held at the mosque. They were interfaith services with Jews, Christians and Muslims. He held an interfaith service on the evening after the shooting. It was organized in two hours and he didn’t expect people to come but he was shocked but the huge crowd many from the LGBT community. The candlelight vigil was held next to the road and traffic came to a stop. For the next 20 minute they preyed. It was a moment for all faiths to pray for peace. united in condemning these acts of violence.