Last week, there was a terrorist attack in Paris that left 129 fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters dead.

This week, a Muslim man stood blindfolded with his arms open at the Place de la République (which has been used for vigils and memorials since the attack) asking for hugs.

He laid two sign below his feet. The first sign read, 'I'm a Muslim, but I'm told that I'm a terrorist.'

The second sign? That one read 'I trust you, do you trust me? If yes, hug me.'

The result? A lot of people did.

This public mourning is a balm over a collective wound, a moment of unity, strength and solidarity that transcends hatred; that transcends race; that lives suspended in the collective fabric where we meet together to empathize.

[anad]

Watch the video, but don't if you're not prepared to at least tear up a little bit.

"I deeply feel for all the victims families," the man announced to the crowd, after he'd received his moving hugs. "I want to tell you that 'Muslim' doesn't necessarily mean 'terrorist.'"

Then, he goes on to make that message even clearer.

"A terrorist is a terrorist, someone willing to kill another human being over nothing. A Muslim would never do that. Our religion forbids it," he said.

This powerful message, in its most myopic form-- that Muslim is not synonymous with terrorist; that we cannot hold loving, innocent people accountable for crimes that wrongfully evoke their religion --proved true in New York City earlier this year.

A Muslim man named Karim stood in NYC, blindfolded with his arms open, beside a sign that read "I'm Muslim and I trust you. Do you trust me enough for a hug?"

In our rough and tough city, Karim is just bypassed at first.

Then? Well, then he isn't.

Then, in an empowering boom of the power of human connection, a man dropped his bags and thew his arms around Karim.

Is love louder than hate? Watch these videos and tell us it's not. We won't believe you.

We believe these videos, these ventures of trust, prove that love is the strongest force on earth; that we can overcome the hatred that, while it may seem like the easiest short term solution, is ultimately poisonous and destructive.

These videos prove that love will continue to not only persist, but prevail.

Check out 11 Most Annoying Questions You’ll Definitely Hear at Thanksgiving Dinner.

[Feature Image Courtesy Independent]