At vigil, leaders urge unity in trying times
As more violence follows terror attack in Bangladesh, draw on faith, they say
At a prayer vigil Saturday for victims of the July 1 terror attack in Bangladesh, area faith leaders and elected officials urged Houstonians to remain united and lean on faith to get through these difficult times.
The vigil was held on the lawn of the Bangladeshi-American Center in Houston, under both dark clouds and the cloud of the even more recent Dallas ambush-style shootings Thursday night that killed five police officers.
On July 1 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, terrorists invaded a cafe frequented by foreigners and held several dozen hostages. Some 21 hostages, two police and one cafe worker were killed, along with four terrorists. One terrorist survived.
The podium at the vigil here was decorated with the flags of the six countries of origin of the hostages who died.
Shah Haleem, director of the center, told the crowd that if people gather together as a community, city and nation, “no act of hate can divide us.”
“The next target is any moment, anywhere,” Haleem said. “United we must stand against terrorists of all shapes and colors.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner called for a common front in the face of global terror.
“We have been summoned here by events throughout the world,” Turner said to the several hundred in attendance. “Some things we will never understand.”
The mayor alluded to the fact that the attack on the cafe in Dhaka, though so recent, already was followed by more violence. “These are some difficult times all over the globe,” he said. “It’s sad to say there have been other acts in recent days.”
But the mayor cited Houston’s much-vaunted diversity as both a connection to the rest of the world and a source of strength. About 15,000 Bangladeshis live in the Houston area.
“We’re diverse be- cause we’re here from every place on the globe,” Turner said. “If someone in Bangladesh hurts, we hurt.”
He also made an appeal to draw upon spiritual beliefs as a source of strength. “I believe there is a greater source, a greater spirit that knows all, sees all and can heal all,” the mayor said.
Officials agreed the spate of recent violence in the states and around the world is painful and stressful.
“These are the times that try the souls of nations,” said U.S. Rep Al Green, whose district includes the Bangladeshi-American Center.
“These are times that will test the world.”