'We are all with you': Vigil held in Halifax for victims of Iran plane crash

A vigil was held in Halifax on Saturday afternoon for victims of this week's plane crash in Iran.

Close to 1,000 people packed the Rebecca Cohn Auditoriumto pay their respects.

Several people on board haddirect ties to Nova Scotia, includingMasoumeh Ghavi,Mahdieh Ghavi, Dr. ShariehFaghihi,Fatemeh Mahmoodi,Maryam MalekandSaba Sadaat.

"Today is the day of grief, for losing our loved one, for missing them, for not seeing them anymore, for not hearing them voice, not seeing their smiles," Alireza Nafarieh, president of the IranianCulturalSocietyof Nova Scotia, said during the vigil.

"Also today is the day of celebration celebrating their valuable lives, their beautiful souls, their unforgettable memories and all the good things they have left behind."

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 bound for Kyiv from Tehran was shot down on Wednesday.All 176 people on boardwere killed,including 57 Canadians.

On Friday,Iran admittedto accidentallyshooting down the plane with a missile.

Tehran says the aircraft was targeted "unintentionally" hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S.troops in Iraq.

The attack had been in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.A military statement said the plane was mistaken for a "hostile target."

'A flight of hopes'

Nafariehsaid all Iranians and Iranian-Canadians deserve to know what happened. He pointed out that many of the passengers were PhD candidates, doctors, dentists and graduate students.

"It was not flight of death, it was a flight of hopes. It was a flight of beautiful smiles, it was a flight of beautiful minds, it was flight of innocent souls and it was a flight of intellectuals."

Nova Scotia MLA Lena Diab, speaking on behalf of Premier Stephen McNeil, said "we share your grief, we share your sorrow."

"Coming from a cultural community,I know what it's like to be going home for Christmas to your country of origin and I know the preparationthat it takes for those back home," she said.

"I know the tragedies when we lose people senselessly, so for all of you here today please know that we are all with you."

Marjan Adibi, the sister-in-law ofDr. Sharieh Faghihi, said, above all,Faghihi was a devoted mother.

Adibi said she would never have dreamed she would be giving a eulogy for Faghihi, especially because she was the younger of the two.

"With her sudden death, she brought us together more closer. She made us realize how great she was and how great she lived," Adibi said.

Adibi said the magnitude and impact of Faghihi's death is great.

"I love you Sheri and I always will," Adibi said, tearfully.

'Devastating time'

A friendof Malek and Mahmoodi spoke at the vigil. She said Mahmoodi made her and her friends laugh while they were studying for exams.

She said Mahmoodi's sister was the only one who knew she was coming home and that she planned to surprise her parents in the kitchen.

Those close tothe victims say they're still processing the news.

"It's a really, really devastating time for us," MahsaMajidi, a friend ofMasoumeh Ghavisaid ahead of the vigil.

Majidi saidMasoumehhad gone to Iran to bring back her sister, Mahdieh, who was planning to study in Halifax. She said Masoumeh had been looking forward to having her sister in the city.

"She was a really kind, social person. She had this big smile on her face all the time, even if she was sad or stressed. She was trying to help everyone she knew," Majidi said.

Sadra Kord-Jamshidi, president of the Dalhousie Iranian Students Society, said the crash was shocking. He also knew Masoumeh Ghavi.

Hesaid he is glad people are coming together to remember the people who died.

"Torealize our friends and the people from thiscommunity were actually among [the victims] was unbearable, we didn't know what to think," Kord-Jamshidi said. "It was a great loss."

MORE TOP STORIES