Islamic Gathering at Olympic Plaza
A group of Muslims gathered at Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary on Saturday, November 9, 2013. One of the attendees started to explain what the gathering was about. I was expecting he was going to talk about recent events (assuming this was a run of the mill political protest of some sort). He told me about the Battle of Karbala (in 680 CE) and Husayn ibn Ali, who is held in high esteem as a martyr by Shia Muslims. Although I was interested, I didn't get into a real discussion, since talking religion with a stranger can risk causing unintended offense. Everyone at the event was quite friendly. Free water and snacks were offered to everyone (whether they were apart of the group or were just passing by).
