My fellow Muslim-Americans, in the wake of Chapel Hill we can’t stop speaking out - even if our voices shake

posted on: Feb 12, 2015

Dear Fellow Muslim-Americans,

I know many of you are afraid.

I am, too. It’s hard not to be, when it could’ve been us.

This letter is a token of faith to all of you – if you have been discriminated against for your beliefs before or after Feb. 10, and if you have been, or are, scared toleave your home today.

This is for anyone who feels like they’ve been bullied into silence.

I’m sure you’re probably asking yourselves: do your lives hold any value? Are we worth any headlines?

They do, and we are.

The three victims of the Chapel Hill shooting. From the left is Deah Barakat; Yusor Abu-Salha; and Razan Mohammed Abu-Salha. (Photo via Facebook)

We’ve heard each other’s voices resound as we continue to digest the tragic, horrifying Feb. 10 terrorist attack that took the lives of three Muslim-Americans in North Carolina: 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat, his 21-year-old wife Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. The victims were shot to death in the head by accused killer Craig Stephen Hicks, a 46-year-old man who was been charged with killing the three at a residential complex of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after turning himself in, according to multiple news organizations.

In less than 24 hours since the shooting, we had read countless statements of encouragement and support expressed by non-Muslims over social media, easing the pain if just a bit, and allowing us to feel that we are not always ostracized. I feel safe speaking for many in that we do feel marginalized and alone in times like this where we easily could’ve been in the place of the three victims who were killed.

Source: mondoweiss.net