Photo courtesy of Fiha Abdulrahman
Over the span of a few hours, students around campus were notified about a vigil. “Who is this for?” a couple of my friends asked. We had yet seen the horror that was waiting for us, not on frequently viewed news outlet, but only on social media. Next thing I knew, I could not help but find myself amongst the students on the steps of Brower Commons. Candles lit the dark evening, illuminating those who were offering their condolences and prayers for the victims of the previous afternoon’s killings. If you haven’t heard of the Chapel Hill shooting I will try to inform you as best as I can. On February 10, three Muslims were killed in their home. They were shot repeatedly in the head. These three individuals were prominent members of their society. Deah Shaddy Barakat, one of the victims, was 23 years old. A dental student at University of North Carolina, he was married to Yusor Mohammad, another victim. Their marriage was just two months ago. With them was Yusor’s sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, who was nineteen years old. Yusor was to join her husband in dental school the upcoming fall. The families of the victims want this tragedy investigated as a hate crime while some news stations are blaming their death over a parking dispute.
Individuals from all over the New Brunswick area came in honor of these three youths. Students stood side-by-side holding their candles in defiance of the wind. Silence fell upon the area as speakers gave words on the horrifying event. Prayers were offered and various local religious leaders came to stand amongst those who felt the pain of families and friends in North Carolina. Powerful speeches were given in the biting cold of the night. Amongst the crowd, there was a student who knew the victims. As tears rolled down her eyes, she told the crowd of how she met the newlywed couple. Every time she would go to mass volunteering events, she would meet up with the aspiring dentists who were bright gems of their community. Barakat was planning on going to Turkey this summer in order to provide dental care to Syrian refugees in Turkey. The donation account he put up for the refugees went up by around $260,000 in two days.
Injustice, underrepresentation and inequality have not been extinguished over the years of struggle. Major news sources have turned a blind eye on this tragic event because of the identity of the victims. Murder is murder and should be brought as headlines all over the world. People need to be notified that safety is not always given, whether you are in your home or simply walking in the streets late at night. No matter what religion, ethnicity, gender or any other social construction of identity, a life is a life. I can only imagine how it feels to have gone to their wedding months ago and now attending their funeral. My prayer and support goes to the families of the victims. They are the ones who will suffer the most with the lost of their loved ones, children, siblings and cousins. All lives matter and until that is heard and believed by everyone, injustice will continue to occur.
Fiha Abdulrahman