Hundreds attend Parliament Hill vigil for Baghdad bombing

As the death toll of the bombing that rocked Baghdad on Saturday continued to rise, 600 people gathered on Parliament Hill to denounce the fear and violence that has gripped Iraq in recent years.

The event included speeches from members of the Iraqi-Canadian community, four members of parliament and the Iraqi ambassador to Canada. The gathering expressed frustration about the ongoing violence and that Iraqi victims seemed to be valued less than the victims of other terrorist attacks.

"People are tired of all the deaths. People are tired of wearing black. People are tired of all the tears," said Heba Ali, an intern at the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations and an Iraqi-Canadian student at Carleton University.

"We're tired of seeing the streets full of blood. We're tired of being afraid that one day we're going to wake up to a phone call that our loved ones are no longer with us. Enough is enough. People have to step up and speak." 

'Came here to share my grieving'

Ali said people don't identify with the terrorists that carried out Saturday's suicide attack on a busy market in Baghdad. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has claimed responsibility.

"We have terrorists going on and taking on the name religion or taking the name of a country and they're putting blaming us," Ali said. "What was the fault of these people that died?"

Iraq's Ambassador to Canada, Abdul Kareem Kaab, spoke at the vigil. He said his neighbours in Iraq have been affected by the blast — they lost two boys, one whose body was not found until Wednesday morning.

"I came here to share my grieving, to share my tears with the Iraqi community and the Canadian people here," Kaab said. "This is a great relief for me and this is also relief for the families of these victims."

He said Canada can help as Iraqi police investigate the bombing as well as by supporting Iraqi forces with training and ammunition.

Iraq is also looking for investment as it rebuilds after a decade of deadly violence, he said.