Hundreds of people gathered at a Northeast mosque in the Canadian city of Calgary in hopes of creating a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, media report said.
Another impetus for the meeting was an incident in which a Calgary woman, who is Muslim, was the target of a barrage of religious slurs from a man who became angry at a four-way stop, cbc News reported.
Last week, police said they were treating it as a possible hate crime. But the man has since reached out to the woman to make amends.
"It was an apology letter, basically, and it talked about his anger issues and that he was in a very bad place,” said Saima Jamal, a Muslim community activist who speaks for the woman who was verbally assaulted.
Police said the investigation is now over and no charges will be laid. Jamal said the man’s apology has been accepted
She said the incident — and its outcome — may be a turning point in Calgary for relations between members of her faith and non-Muslims.
"We would like this to be an example for everyone to come together and if you have any misunderstandings about Muslim or Islam come with us, work with us, we're willing to open our hearts and minds and work together,” she said.