Quebec City mosque reopens for prayers six days after deadly shooting

A candlelight vigil was held at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Monday evening, January 30, 2017 for the people who were killed and wounded in a shooting at a Québec City mosque during evening prayers on Sunday, January 29. (Photography by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)

MONTREAL—The Quebec City mosque where six people were killed reopened for prayers on Saturday, six days after the tragedy.

Mosque president Mohamed Yangui said the first prayer was held at 6 a.m.

He described the moment as both painful and positive.

“It’s good to return because mosques belong to Allah, to God,” he said in an interview.

“They have to be opened, despite our pain, to receive the faithful to pray five times a day, as is our duty.”

Due to ongoing renovations, men prayed on the first floor and women moved to the basement.

Earlier this week, the public was allowed inside to view the bullet-riddled walls and bloodstained floors where six men died.

Yangui said the mosque’s decor will be changed as part of the repairs.

“We don’t want to forget (what happened), but we want people to be able to walk in without setting off bad memories,” he said.

The victims, aged between 39 and 60, were killed when a gunman stormed the mosque on Sunday night and opened fire on men who were attending prayer.

Funeral services were held for the men on Thursday and Friday in Montreal and Quebec City.

Gatherings are planned in those cities this weekend to mark the tragedy.