The recent tragedies that occurred in Chapel Hill, NC have effected people around the country. Newlyweds Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were killed in a shooting Tuesday in Chapel Hill. A neighbor of Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha, Craig Stephen Hicks, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. At Arab American Family Services, we want the victims of the families to know that we send our heart-felt condolences to them.
The murders have sparked much debate on whether these actions carried about by Hicks were a hate crime. All three victims were Muslim. Yusor and Razan wear the traditional, Islamic hijab.
Chapel Hill police are saying that the murders were sparked over a parking space and the Federal Bureau of Investigations announced today that it had launched “a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not any federal laws were violated related to the case.” The FBI had previously been called in to assist the Chapel Hill police in processing evidence from the crime scene.
The victims of the murder have been praised by all those who knew them and were remembered by the incredible lives they lived and the lives they touched around them and abroad.
Barakat, was a second-year dental student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife Yusor were married just six weeks ago. Last year, the couple traveled to Turkey to give free dental care to students. He had also planned another mission, along with 10 dentists, to go back to Turkey and provide dental services to Syrian refugees who had been displaced after the war.
Abu-Salha was a sophomore studying architecture at North Carolina State University.
Regardless of the outcome of the FBI investigation, we want to take the time to denounce hate crimes that occur everyday, throughout the country, many of which are unreported. In this day and age, it is unfortunate that many cannot accept the various religions and cultures that have helped make the United States what it is today, a country that was built by people of all walks of life and established by immigrants around the world. We pride ourselves on the core fundamentals of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution which gives everyone the right to live freely, regardless of religion or race.
If you or someone you know have encountered or felt any sort of intimidation or fear, please contact AAFS and we will document your story and send it to the proper authorities who will help determine if this is the actions of a hate crime. It does not matter if you are at work, school or shopping at a grocery store, if you feel threatened, do not ignore the act. We want to ensure that no one ignores these issues. Together, we can prevent another Chapel Hill, hate crime massacre. If you have any questions, please call (708) 599-2237. You can also report a hate crime directly to the FBI at: http://overflowing/report-threats-and-crime.
(708) 599-2237
