Sister of Chapel Hill Victim Decries Islamophobia
For her, the police statement that the trio’s death was about the parking dispute was “dishonoring them and their families and completely trivializing what their murders were.”
“What I am is the sister of three family members who were murdered gruesomely in their homes because of their faith,” she told San Francisco Gate on Saturday, March 7.
“What I am is an American Muslim — not very different from others who have pursued opportunities that our country has to offer.”
Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23 his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were found dead at a condominium complex off campus.
The gunman, identified as 46-year-old Craig Stephen Hicks, reportedly turned himself into police.
The suspect of the Chapel Hill shooting, Craig Hicks, was said to have been angered over a parking dispute.
The argument was rejected by commentators and family members of the victims said they believe the staunch self-proclaimed anti-theist was motivated by race and religion.
The North Carolina killings happened amid what some see as a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment, with many politicians and even entertainers such as Bill Maher pointedly criticizing the religion.
“If people didn’t believe it (Islamophobia) before, and then if they don’t see that it’s knocked on our doorstep and killed three American Muslims, then we have a real problem,” Barakat said.
Dr Barakat is one of those Muslims who have been facing increasing Islamophobia.
In North Carolina, where she studied medicine, some patients refused to shake her hand or see her because of her headscarf. She had patients threaten her.
Even in San Francisco, Barakat has experienced bigotry because of her hijab, she said.
Source: OnIslam.net
