We’re in this together
The touching moment Jewish woman, 93, and Muslim imam unite in sorrow
THEY make an unusual pairing – one an elderly Jewish woman, the other a Muslim imam.
But yesterday their differences were meaningless as they came together in solidarity against Monday’s terror attack.
Sadiq Patel and 93-year-old Renee Black shared a prayer and laid flowers at a memorial in Albert Square, stating that the city would ‘get through this together’.
Their display of unity was one of many echoed across Manchester in a series of vigils to remember the victims and their families.
Mr Patel said: ‘Renee’s 93, a Jewish lady. I’m a Muslim man. But at this moment in time faith doesn’t mean anything.’ ‘We don’t know what to say, no words can actually express what we’re going through.
‘But one thing we do definitely know is, we’re in this together and we’ll get through this together’.
Dressed head to toe in traditional black robes, Mr Patel can be seen offering Miss Black a steadying arm as she walks with a crutch. He then kneels beside her as she takes a seat on a folding chair, placing a reassuring hand on her arm as she looks moved by the tributes.
Miss Black said: ‘We came to pay our respect to the people who passed away and to hope that they never have anything like this again. We’ll try to get through this together and not matter about the colour or creed or whatever you are, we’re all the same people and we bleed like everybody else.’
Elsewhere across the city, mem- bers of a range of faiths held hands and paused for a moment in silence to express their unity.
The Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, and imam Irfan Chishti were among the religious figures to join crowds at St Ann’s Square.
Speaking among the floral tributes the Ramadhan Foundation’s chief executive, Mohammed Shafiq, urged the community to ‘show solidarity and send a message to the world’. Proud Mancunians responded with colourful acts of defiance towards fanatics, with Gulnar Bano Khan Qadri, 49, dressing in a Union Flag headscarf to tell the world she was ‘ a Mancunian from Manchester’.
Thousands of floral tributes have been laid and candles lit to remember the 22 people murdered and 119 injured as they left the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Heart shaped balloons have been tied to local monuments along with inspirational poems and messages stating ‘we all stand together’ and that ‘Manchester is home to solidarity’.
Poet Tony Walsh had brought many to tears in an emotional performance of This Is The Place at a vigil on Tuesday, paying tribute to the grit of the northern city.