The Massacre of Muslims in New Zealand

I hear the news of the massacre and I immediately wonder if Creator gave the People a ceremony they could perform to honour human beings violently slain while in the midst of their time of prayer. I know of none!

I hear the news and I immediately ask myself, what kind of man would go into a house of worship with the intention of spilling the blood of innocent human beings, the young, the old, the pure and sin-free? Where can I find a wisdom keeper who can provide me with a sensible answer?

I hear the news and I immediately become aware that it is quite possible that a man with similar ideology as the killer in New Zealand could be living in my city, Ottawa. A man who harbours a deadly hatred for the Muslim religion and possibly, prepares now, to strike at a mosque here in Algonquin Anishinabe territory? If it is so, what can I do now to stop him?

I hear the news and I immediately retrieve tobacco from my bundle to place at the roots of old pine trees, making a solemn request of them for healing to at least begin now. Not just for my Muslim friends but for all of us who are now heartsick because of the senseless attack which took place in New Zealand. Imagine a pine tree, old and grand. It has many strong and vibrant branches. Let us see the trunk of the tree as representative of Creator and the branches attached to it as the beliefs of people who honour all things Creator placed before us. Do not all the branches have a right to attach themselves to the trunk? Who would dare attempt to remove one of the branches from the tree? If the devil exists, then it is surely the devil and only the devil who would wish to do so.

I ask myself, who or what was it that created the mind frame of the New Zealand killer? I try to weep for those who died but somehow I cannot. Why is it that a river of tears does not run from my eyes, mourning for the innocent people who died only because of their choice of religion? Tears are not what is needed at this time. Action! Action is the answer.

Together, all people of faith, must gather in the sacred circle to condemn violence and hatred. As former US President Obama once said, “An attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths.”

As far as I am concerned, anyone who hates to the point that they see the murder of those they despise solely because of their religious beliefs as a legitimate reason for slaughter, gives up the right to call themselves a human being. Such a creature no longer has a human heart pounding in its chest. What was once a heart has become nothing more than a pump pushing blood into the body of a wild and mindless beast unknown to Creator.

Nothing of Creator’s touch would do such a thing as was done in New Zealand! Let us pray, using our own words and at our own place of worship, wherever that might be, to end hatred once and for all.

Keep the Circle Strong,
South Wind (Albert Dumont)