U Of M Group Wants Peace After International Violence
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities group is hoping to off-set recent international religious acts of violence with an act of love.
The group of campus ministries and University of Minnesota students were inspired by an idea they first saw happen in Europe.
After a Swedish mosque was attacked earlier this year, religious groups came together to show support through an act they call "love bombing."
Sunday evening, that idea spread through the Al-Madinah Muslim Student Cultural Center.
A group of 20 students sorted through hundreds of paper hearts with touching messages written on them by community members of all faiths.
At the heart of every religion, United Methodist Campus Ministries Rev. Cody Nielsen knows there is love.
"We want to live compassionately and in a way that treats each other at peace more than anything," Nielsen said.
He decided to invite more than 20 congregations of all faiths in the Twin Cities Metro area to help spread messages of hope around campus.
University of Minnesota students of all religions sorted through the heart-shaped cut outs, then used them to decorate the walls of Al-Madinah Muslim Cultural Center on the campus.
Muslim student Imane Ait Daoud said it brought her hope.
"I was actually starting to think Muslims would be not welcome here anymore in this community," Ait Daoud said, "When I read through these letters I feel so much hope."
The group said it hopes to invite students and staff to put up more of those hearts with messages across campus in the coming weeks.