Image by Rhonda Berglas via Flickr
Meghan Maclaren | Contributing Writer
opinion@fiusm.com
Rest in peace to the three Muslim students shot dead near Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Tuesday, Feb. 10. I cannot begin to imagine what their families are going through right now and I’m sure I speak for all of our readers when I say my thoughts and condolences are with them.
They weren’t white Americans taken hostage and killed by ISIS. They weren’t young black men killed as a result of police brutality. But that shouldn’t for a second lessen the significance of their deaths. Before people start arguing over whether the motive for their murder was because of their religion or because of a ‘parking space dispute’, people should take the time to recognize that three young people lost their lives when they shouldn’t have.
Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha were people. They were Muslims, but that isn’t where their story ends. They were three young people with dreams, and families, and achievements. We need to stop categorizing people by the color of their skin, or the religion they believe in, or their sexual orientation or by any similar factors. Judge them by what they do in their lives.
ISIS is not representative of all terrorists. ISIS is not representative of all the bad people in this world. As this tragic incident in North Carolina proves, ISIS is not representative of all Muslims. The man who is accused of killing Barakat, Yusor and Razan, is supposedly an atheist. Does that mean we should now start fearing all atheists? Does that mean all atheists are capable of committing murder, and acts of terrorism? Of course it doesn’t. We shouldn’t fear Muslims because the members of ISIS are Muslims, we should fear ISIS because they are terrorists. Some people are capable of murder and capable of terrorism, and that is not a direct result of their skin color or religious choice. If acts of terrorism are going to get publicity such as in the case of ISIS, and Charlie Hebdo, so should this attack. It is not any less tragic because Barakat, Yusor and Razan were not the same religion or race as the majority.
Black lives matter, but so do Muslim lives. So do gay lives, so do Hispanic lives, so do white lives. So do the lives of every single individual from every walk of life. People need to stop using religion, or race, or anything else as excuses and justifications for fear and for killing. People have a right to think the things that they think and believe the things that they believe in, but first and foremost, people have the right to live.
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