It can be so difficult to see past the fog of adversity. But if you look closely, difficult times can bring opportunity for growth. For the Muslim community, 2015 was a year defined by this lesson.
From Paris, to Beirut, to San Bernardino, tragedies scarred the year. With each catastrophe, questions arose. Was Islam the cause of all the horror? Was it a religion of terrorism? Were we safe living amongst Muslims? The image of Islam was only further tarnished.
A vast discomfort with the Muslim community amplified anti-Muslim sentiments through the media, political campaigns and demonstrations, causing countless hate-crimes reported all over the nation.
However, the year also caused the conversation regarding Muslims to move toward change. The topic was now brought up and people were listening to the Muslim response. The year became one that set off a revolutionary movement for the Muslim American identity.
But it all “started” somewhere.
On Feb. 10, 2015, a shooting echoed from Chapel Hill, waking the world to a cold reality. There was a problem, and it was finally loud enough to hear.
The tragic loss of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha, three bright and active American citizens, opened a book that had long been misunderstood — the Muslim American narrative.
The story of three former NC State students, who quickly became known as Our Three Winners, contradicted what many thought was the definition of a Muslim. Radical, anti-patriotic, isolated, foreign … these are all characteristics not applicable to the identity of these Muslims.
In fact, Deah, Yusor and Razan emulated the true foundational beliefs of Islam. This came as a surprise to many, causing the nation to take a long, hard look at their understanding of such a large portion of our American community.
A heavy word became common in conversation: Islamophobia.
Within months of the tragedy, it was clear that people wanted to talk about Islam. Muslim organizations, leaders and citizens were all finally ready to discuss the hatred aimed their way because of the faith they follow.
As people learned about the lives of Deah, Yusor and Razan, the identity of an entire community of Muslim American youth was revealed. With more listeners, Our Three Winners became a motivation for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
They lived lives, though abruptly ended, that have inspired millions in the past year.
But with inspiration came a heavy responsibility. There is burden now upon all Americans.
Our nation aims to ensure inclusion, freedom and civil rights for its citizens. Unquestionably, these are necessities that we are all entitled to.
Our American identity roots from a sense of alliance. While we are a diverse population, we cannot let our differences corner our communities into isolation. It is our obligation to prevent this for all who may be discriminated against, including Muslims facing Islamophobia.
Simply representing Islam and acting with kindness and compassion hasn’t proven protection enough from the hatred in the hearts of some. Muslims simply can’t fight this marginalization alone, because anti-Muslim sentiment is not a Muslim problem, it is an American problem.
As thousands of people stood together to honor Deah, Yusor and Razan last year at both the NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill vigils, it was clear that unity was not out of reach. Our community proved that we were able to join and defeat hatred with tolerance, understanding and solidarity.
Let’s hope our community and the U.S. as a whole proves capable of this unity going forward.
