When Life Becomes Too Much to Bear

 

"Before I do my mission, I want you all to know that I am not a psychopath. I do not believe in bloodshed. I am not one of those monsters that hurt children, that hurt innocents."

"I'm just tired of seeing the tyranny and corruption taking over our society and our lives."

"Good, honest, God-fearing men and women [must become doctors, police, politicians and teachers, so that they can] rise up against this wokeism disease that is leading our generation into deception."

"We need good men and women in all workforces to promote a pro-human life."

"Inshallah, I will succeed with my mission. If I don't succeed, I know somebody else will succeed for me."

Bezhani Sarvar, 28, Edmonton, Alberta resident

Some of the damage sustained at Edmonton city hall on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. (Submitted by City of Edmonton)

This is a man who set out with a deliberate purpose; to startle local municipal officials by a violent act of intrusion into Edmonton's City Hall premises and to bring the public's attention to, and promote his version of how the social order should be altered for the good of the individual and collective humanity. He had posted a video to YouTube with the title "Rise up", now no longer on the social media site. The righteous man who rejected violence in all its forms, used violence to draw attention to his manifesto.

 

In his dissatisfaction with the world as it is, and approaching the ills of the world from a number of perspectives, he forced his way into the Edmonton City Hall premises where the security detail hired to prevent and manage just such events apprehended the man who was, in very fact, an employee of the very same security firm and positioned at the City Hall with his colleagues before he decided to stage the event that had him arrested.

 

From a security employee to a gunman. He now faces six charges for the attack where he had entered the civic edifice through the parkade. He fired a rifle, and threw a homemade Molotov cocktail which started a small fire. And then when confronted, he surrendered without further ado to an unarmed security guard. No injuries occurred, not to anyone within the City Hall, the security detail, or the non-violent, violent protester. A man who is married and has children.

Edmonton police officers were seen entering the home of a man accused in a Tuesday shooting incident at city hall. (Peter Evans/CBC)

 People, said Sarvar, need to "rise up" against inflation and housing. In the video he is seen as saying people need to "rise up" to put a stop to "this genocide that's going on in Gaza and throughout the world". "Anybody that is destabilizing other countries, hurting their community, should feel ashamed of themselves, and inshallah we will rise against you guys and we'll put you on trial", he warns. As for the immigration crisis ..."instead of hate and anger in our hearts, we must spread love". 

"We need to start filtering our water. We need to watch what we're eating. We got to start eating healthy. Our officials need to start promoting healthy choices, healthy diet, exercises. They need to unite us all as one and we all got to start doing something positive for our society." Life, in all its various aspects, obviously has been much too much for this man to bear. Himself a beacon of stability and concern for the welfare of the world. Decrying violence.

 

A screen grab from a YouTube video linked to the Jan. 23, 2024, attack on Edmonton city hall. Bezhani Sarvar, 28, was charged with six offences after a gunman fired shots and threw a Molotov cocktail in the building. Photo by Screenshot/YouTube

The physical damage he caused to the City Hall, to walls, floors, windows, doors, carpets, fire-scorch-marks on the marble floor will all require remediation. The shock caused to people who were witnesses and whose presence possibly stirred the man to greater excesses in a desperate effort to influence their reasoning to understand his own, will last awhile.

The attack was denounced by the National Council of Canadian Muslims claiming in a statement posted to X, that it was motivated by "an alt-right agenda", without making mention of the man's Gaza comments. Truth is, it's difficult these days to distinguish the difference between Lib-left and alt-right. Can a violent act of this nature inspired by a personal roster of critical social issues be considered terrorism? Is he to be considered mentally unhinged?

In any event, repairs are underway, though there is no word when the venue can be reopened to the general public. City Hill will be considering upgrading its current security system in view of the many social issues circulating in today's world that perturb people and spur them to questionable action in support of their ideological, religious, cult or political views.

Some of the damage sustained at Edmonton city hall on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. (Submitted by City of Edmonton)