- Dr. Asif Hirani and other faith leaders in Richardson, Texas, emphasized resilience and unity in the face of the deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque.
Dr. Asif Hirani was preparing for midday prayer when he heard news of a deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego Monday, where a number of children were also in school.
Though he was across the country at a mosque in Richardson, Hirani, resident scholar at the Islamic Association of North Texas, said it was a difficult day, as his own young children were in class at the time. At the mosque’s evening and night prayers, he and other faith leaders spoke about the virtues of resilience and protecting the vulnerable.
Since the attack, Hirani said he has received a number of calls from his community expressing support and messages of solidarity from neighboring Christian and Jewish residents of Richardson. Other faith leaders have said they are increasing security measures after the attack, but also finding strength in faith and coming together as a community…