Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

To the organizers at the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs:

We seek an apology for the Eid Carnival which was held during the first ten nights of Muharram. The Shia community holds these days in high regard due to the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson, Husain ibn Ali (AS), and the massacre of his holy family. These days are dedicated to mourning and remembrance of the sacrifice of the Ahlul Bayt, and our community refrains from any celebration in respect to their memory. Therefore, we implore you to understand the pain caused by this celebration.

As a community, we felt unheard as the carnival was held during these holy days of mourning. Assuming no ill intent, we would invite you to learn about this annual commemoration in which tens of millions take part every year. Let us bridge this gap and grow from this experience. An apology to our community in addition to awareness about the significance of Ashura would be a beautiful start to mutual understanding.

As part of one Ummah, we should seek to grow from these incidents and understand one another. We hope that we can unite our communities under the umbrella of understanding and openness.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We look forward to see this community grow.

Wasalamu alaikum.

“The believers, in their mutual understanding and compassion, are like one body: If one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever.” -Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)