The meaning of flowers?

Flowers in Sydney

Flowers have featured in two of the news stories which I have been reading today. Those above, of course, sit in the main business district in the Australian city of Sydney in memory of the victims of the cafe hostages who lost their lives saving others.

The other flowers, of which there are less pictures, cover coffins in the Pakistani city of Peshawar where the parents of 132 children and nine teachers have buried their dead after Taliban soldiers but through the fence at the back of a school and stormed into an exam hall.


I am appalled by such acts of violence - but I also appalled by the constant vilification of an entire religion because of radical extremists - this gives that minority of extremists a power which they should not have.

Before we disagree on the words of our creeds, we must agree on our humanity and the world cannot endure to see school children used as weapons of war whether it is in Pakistan, Nigeria or anywhere else.

I have been praying all day for the pain that those parents must be feeling and for those who did such a thing that they might, somehow, find another voice within themselves. I continue to pray that all people, no matter where we are, will stand together to say - not our children, and mean, sincerely, no anyone's children, not today and not ever.

Members of the Australian Muslim Community place floral tributes in Sydney