Thursday’s issue of the Technician had nearly every page covered with articles related to Tuesday’s tragedy, and it made me proud. It made me proud because the staff spent the entire night trying to put together something that would express how the loss of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister Razan affected the NC State and the UNC-Chapel Hill communities, as well as the community at large.
But as one staff member pointed out, there were no responses to the tragedy written by a Muslim.
As a Muslim and former staff writer, I feel compelled to fill that gap, but also feel inadequate. I did not know any of the victims, nor am I very active in the Muslim community at NC State.
But I did attend the vigil held Thursday evening, and what I saw was unity. It wasn’t just from Muslim brothers and sisters, but from people of all faiths.
And that is what Islam is all about: coming together as one in submission to God’s will, showing peace and love instead of hatred.
Sure the wind howled until it chilled our bones, and put out the flames that would have lit our candles, but our hearts were warm with an inner light as together we remembered three martyrs who continue to give even in their deaths.
They brought us together, and the world together in prayer. Never would I have thought that I would hear the call to prayer in the Brickyard and stand shoulder to shoulder, praying on bricks.
The prayers reminded us that every life has value, even the lives of those we have never met.
At the vigil, Deah Barakat’s brother, Farris, talked about how pure, white snowflakes fell during the burial. Even nature showed its testament to the deceased.
In this tragedy, there is a lesson. Razan was only 19. Yusor was only 21. The oldest, Deah, was only 23. Despite their young ages, they still made meaning out of their lives by thinking about others instead of themselves. Yusor traveled to Turkey to aid refugee children there. She was set to begin dental school at UNC-CH in August, and Razan had big plans for a career in architecture.
As of press time Sunday evening, Deah’s dental relief project, Refugee Smiles has more than $400,000, far exceeding its goal of $20,000.
With this in mind, I end this column with a quote from Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him).
“Conduct yourself in this world as if you are here to stay forever, and yet prepare for eternity as if you are to die tomorrow.”
