Members of Muslim communities in the South Bay bowed in prayer Sunday night asking that those injured in the Orlando nightclub shooting survive and recover.
They also condemned Omar Mateen, the gunman who pledged his allegiance with ISIS and killed at least 50 people.
In a show of solidarity, the executive director of the Bay Area Council on American Islamic Relations spoke to the LGBTQ community during a rally at the Billy Defrank Silicon Valley LGBTQ Center in San Jose.
Zara Billoo, executive director of the Bay Area office of CAIR, said the incident was "an attack that we feel is disgusting, and we condemn it and we stand in solidarity with the victims and their families."
The national leaders of CAIR also spoke out against the attack, calling Mateen a lone wolf.
"You do not represent us," said Nihad Awad, CAIR's national executive director. "You are an outlaw. You don't speak for our faith."
Muslims across the world turned to social media to share the same sentiment, using #NotInMyName.
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Also in the South Bay, a mosque in Milpitas organized a prayer service for the victims. About 50 people attended the service. The community encouraged its members to break their fasts and instead donate blood if possible.
“We condemn this senseless and horrific act of violence in the strongest possible terms,” said Wasim Malik, president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Silicon Valley. “Our hearts go out to the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with them as their neighbors and brothers and sisters in peace. Islam teaches reverence for all human life. This is a time to pray and act to stop such senseless violence in our nation.”
