An Islamic symbol bearing a message of peace and religious tolerance has been added to the makeshift memorial to Boston Marathon terrorist attack victims in Monument Square. It appears to be the same symbol that topped a sign honoring dead bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev that was briefly part of the memorial before the men who created it had a disagreement and removed the sign, as the Gazette previously reported.
The new symbol, apparently added yesterday, features the star-and-crescent symbol often associated with Islam on a stick. Written on the stick is the phrase, “Peace to all. No time for hating,” as well as the word “together” with Christian, Jewish and Islamic symbols. The star-and-crescent is decorated with hearts.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his brother Dzhokhar, the surviving bombing suspect, reportedly are Muslim, and authorities are suggesting that religious extremism was among the motivations for the April 15 bombings and related crimes.
The memorial honors the three people killed in the bombings as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer who was later killed, allegedly by the bombers. It also includes other messages of peace, love and patriotism. It was created on April 22 by Carlos Arredondo, a famous peace activist who aided victims of the bombing on the scene, and activist Sage Radachowsky.
The Islamic peace symbol recently added to the Boston Marathon terrorist attack victims’ memorial in Monument Square. (Gazette Photo by John Ruch)