Crowd gathers in Redmond for Bring Back Our Girls solidarity and prayer vigil for abducted Nigerian girls
Published 9:34 pm Sunday, May 11, 2014
Eleven Redmond mothers held a Bring Back Our Girls solidarity and prayer vigil on Sunday in the City Hall commons for the 276 Nigerian girls who were abducted from their school in Chibok by Islamic extremists on April 14. According to Associated Press stories, the girls are reportedly set to be sold into marriage to militants for $12 each.
Led by Redmond’s Sharice Belikoff, who’s of South African descent, the rally took place from 4-5 p.m.
About 70 people attended the event, including the following speakers and performers: Belikoff; Ruz Gulko, Jewish community leader and cantor; Chava Mirel, guitar; Sister Betty Schumacher and Julianne Pierson from St. Jude Parish; Sheri Gazitt, Girl Rising; Hank Myers, Redmond City Council member; and Terry Scott, Pamela Grossman, Leah Saltzman and a few other attendees read poetry and prose.
Belikoff (pictured) wrote to the Reporter tonight: “As long as I live, I will never forget the spirit, compassion and love that was in that park tonight. I will never forget the people who came forward in the crowd to say words of light and hope. I will never forget how our children watched and knew that something big had happened at that vigil: We were all standing up for education for all, we were saying that no child should ever be taken. People of all faiths, men, women, children, Jewish, Christian, Muslim were all praying united peacefully for the 276 girls to be brought home safely.”
