Chappel Hill Shootings.

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#16 [Permalink] Posted on 25th February 2015 02:55

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#17 [Permalink] Posted on 28th March 2015 18:28

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Islamic leaders of burned center ask prosecutors to drop arson charge

Islamic center leaders ask DA to drop charge against homeless man

By Allan Turner February 20, 2015 Updated: February 21, 2015 8:27am

Ahsan Zahid, assistant imam at Quba Islamic Institute, hopes charges against the homeless man accused of setting fire to this building at the religious center will be dropped. "We always preach forgiveness,"

Ahsan Zahid, assistant imam at Quba Islamic Institute, hopes charges against the homeless man accused of setting fire to this building at the religious center will be dropped. "We always preach forgiveness," he said.
Flanked by clergy from a cross-section of Houston's religious community, leaders of an Islamic religious center Friday asked prosecutors to drop the felony charge lodged against a homeless man accused of setting one of their buildings on fire.

"We always preach forgiveness," said Ahsan Zahid, assistant imam at the Quba Islamic Institute. "Our God is forgiving. Our prophet was always forgiving, and God tells us we should do as we expected to be treated by others. We should forgive, and that is the request we made."

Leaders of the institute, at 730 FM 1959 in the city's southeast side, made their public request at a news conference called by Interfaith Ministries. Lending support to the Muslim group were clergy from Jewish and Christian congregations.

Harris County District Attorney's spokesman Jeff McShan confirmed that his office had received and would consider the institute's request.

But, he added, "At this time, Darryl Ferguson's first-degree arson charge will remain. The investigation into the fire is ongoing. No final decisions have been made and will not be made over the weekend."

Houston chronicle.

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#18 [Permalink] Posted on 28th March 2015 18:45

The response to the Murder of three students at Chappel Hill North Carolina has been truly inspirational. Over $500,000 have been raised on the fundraising page for syrian refuges set up by Deah Barakat prior to his death, his original target had been $20,000.

To commemorate the work the three victims, did for the homeless some muslim students set up the feed their legacy campaign just over 4 weeks ago, the objective being for muslims to collect and donate 100,000 cans of food, to homeless shelters, ,soup kitchens, and food banks for the Poor with the deadline for the campaign being tomorrow 29 march.

As of yesterday, muslim students, masjids and various other organisations across America, had collected 95,000 cans plus $14,000
cash donation for the purchase of food.

Many other smaller and individual initiatives have taken place across America and around the world in memory of the victims.

The response of the families of the victims has been truly dignified...May allah grant al firdaus to the victims and may he bestow sabr e jameelah upon their families ameen.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4...

many non muslims have been inspired by this, infact Sean Maroney the anchor at WCNC news, was moved to tears after meeting the fathers of the victims, and did a separate recording in which he payed tribute to them.

various non-muslim indviduals organisations and even the Las Vegas Police Department have come out in support of and joined the Feed their Legacy Campaign.

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#19 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd April 2015 15:22

The 30 day Feed their Legacy national food drive, in honour of the Chappel hill victims... has managed to collect just over 172,000 cans of food and $21,000 in cash donations whichhave been donated to food banks across america to help the poor. The food drive Far exceeded the intial target of a 100,000 cans. and in a rare show of unity over 280 muslim groups and organisations took part.

May Allah accept it on behalf of the victims ameen.

The dignified response of the families in particular the parents has been awe inspiring, their focus has been to show the wider public the Islamic values of love, mercy, compassion and service to others.

Aside from the food drive over $500,000 has been raised on Deah Barakats, fund raising page. Atleast 2 houses will be built by Habitat for the homeless a charity the three victims regularly volunteered for.

The Scholarship funds in honour of the three victims set up by the University of North Carolina which will help students from disadvantaged backgrounds has raised well 0ver $100,000

Al Aman Islamic middle school which the victims attended has received a pledge for donations 0f $250,000
and there are many other projects and charitable endeavours that have taken place in the six weeks or so since the murder of the victims.

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#20 [Permalink] Posted on 1st June 2015 01:20

Police Shoot And Kill Unarmed College Student Needing Medical Attention

An unarmed, 20-year old college student with dreams of becoming a lawyer for victims of police brutality was shot and killed by a Long Beach Police officer.

Faras Morad was fatally shot by an officer on the 4600 block of East 15th Street, near Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday night after jumping out of a second story window. According to friends he was with at the time, Morad was having a bad reaction after taking shrooms for the first time. According to the Long Beach Press Telegram, a responding police officer arrived around 7:30 p.m. to help him get medical attention.

However, Morad continued to approach the officer, who perceived his actions as a threat, and after unsuccessfully trying to subdue him with a Taser and a baton, shot the 20-year old. He was quickly rushed a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Even if he did something, if he was under the influence, he should not have been shot, he does not harm anyone," his father, Amr Morad, told NBC 4. His sister, Ghada, said it was "unfair" that the family was first notified of his death through a Facebook message, instead getting a call from the police, hospital or the coroner's office. Morad's family also disputes the police's side of the story, which says the 20-year old was in a "physical altercation" with his friends before jumping through the window and later threatened the officer.

"From what the friends had told me, he was just having a bad reaction," said his cousin Kareem. A friend that was with Morad when the shooting took place told NBC 4 that Morad was simply dazed from the drugs and falling through the window without his glasses, and that he was about 20 feet away from the officer and actually walking away when he was shot.

"We were saying, 'Don't shoot! Don't shoot, he's not armed!'" his friend Ryan Fobes told ABC 7. "Feras was shirtless and covered in blood and obviously very hurt."

Feras was a 3.9 GPA student at Moorpark College and was going to start classes at Long Beach State in the fall. He was a nationally-ranked debate student while attending El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills, and was accepted into UCLA and Cal out of high school, but chose to attend CSULB to save money. His goal was to become a lawyer who would represent victims of police brutality.

The Morad family plans on suing the Long Beach Police Department and for now have set up a GoFundMe to cover his funeral arrangements. A "Justice For Ferad Moras" Facebook page has been set up, and a candlelight vigil is schedule to take place this Wednesday night in Long Beach.

According to the L.A. Times Homicide Report, Morad is at least the fourth person fatally shot by police in Long Beach in the last 12 months, with the last being Hector Morejon.

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#21 [Permalink] Posted on 10th February 2016 22:41

Its the first year anniversary of the Murders of Three Muslim Students, in Chappel Hill, The following is an inspirational piece written by Omar AlNatour, for the Huffington Post, the reflections and anecdotes posted are not his own but those of close friends of the victims.

10 Things We Can Learn From Our Three Winners

Omar Alnatour
Palestinian-American Muslim. Student. Humanitarian.

One year after The Chapel Hill shooting, I wake up still feeling like I just lost a friend. No, it's more than that. A best friend. No, a sibling. No, three siblings.

On February 10, 2015 the world lost three people so amazing that words would fill oceans before they could even begin to describe how great Our Three Winners were. On this tragic day, the heavens screamed as three angels were killed. But on this very same day, a legacy was born.

A legacy of love, inspiration, hope, joy, and every other positive noun our dictionaries ululate in their memory. A legacy which reminds us that Our Three Winners are still here because their legacy can't be silenced by hate.

Here are 10 things we can learn from Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, from the words of their closest friends:

1) It's the little things that count:

When we would go shopping, Razan would occasionally see something that reminded her of someone and she'd buy it for them without thinking twice. One time, she found this mug that she knew her dad would love. So she bought it, wrote a cute note on a napkin, and placed them both on the kitchen counter for her dad to see when he got home from work that day. It wasn't his birthday, or Father's day, or anything special. It was simply a small gesture of kindness, one that meant the world to her father.

Razan taught me that the greatness in a gift lies in the thought behind it rather than it's value, and that sometimes, it's the littlest acts of kindness that mean the most.

2) We rise by lifting others:

One of the most endearing qualities that my dear friend Deah Barakat possessed was his giving nature. He never lost the opportunity to give to those around him and make their lives better. I remember distinctly one day when Deah and a group of our friends were eating at Char-Grill in downtown Raleigh. We were joking around over lunch, like we usually did, when Deah spotted a homeless man sitting under the shade of a tree. While this poor man did not register on the rest of our radars, Deah quietly got up from the table, bought a meal, and walked over to hand it to the man. The man was taken aback by this moment of kindness and thanked Deah profusely. This is just one tiny incident that portrayed just how giving of a soul Deah was.

Deah taught me that we are best defined by how we treat those who can do nothing for us and to never look down on someone unless we are helping them back up.

3) Laughter is the best medicine:

One of the things I loved the most about Razan was her amazing sense of humor. She used to always share funny things she had found online and I would reply with the same. It was a nightly ritual before we went to sleep and I always looked forward to it. It'd make bad days end with great nights. From her personality to her social media profiles, Razan was the type of person to make your diaphragm ache from laughter.

Razan taught me to be a source of light in a world of darkness and that a good laugh can heal a lot of hurt.

4) When you feel like quitting, remember why you started:

I can't count the number of times I wanted to quit doing something after feeling discouraged and Razan would motivate me to keep at it. The afternoon of her death, we were texting around 3PM. I had just received a test grade that was really disappointing and I was telling Razan how I was reconsidering my entire career goals because I studied so hard for this exam yet still did not do well. She told me to keep working towards what I am passionate about and to never give up. This was the last thing she ever told me. Not a day goes by where this doesn't motivate me during hard times.

Razan taught me that the best things in life don't come easy, that success is always sweeter when preceded by struggle, and that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.

5) Be the change you wish to see in the world:

I have not met anyone who has exemplified what is means to be true American Muslim better than Yusor, Deah, and Razan did. They were admirable examples of how we all should contribute to our American society and how to be the best neighbor and citizen that we can be.

Yusor even sat down with one of her old teachers from when she was young, and recorded a conversation for StoryCorps about this. In that story, she says,

"Growing up in America has been such a blessing. And although in some ways I do stand out, such as the hijab I wear on my head, the head covering, there are still so many ways that I feel so embedded in the fabric that is, you know, our culture. And that's the beautiful thing here, is that it doesn't matter where you come from. There's so many different people from so many different places, of different backgrounds and religions -- but here we're all one, one culture. And it's beautiful to see people of different areas interacting, and being family. Being, you know, one community."

Yusor motivates me to be the best person I can be, to be proud of who I am, and to embrace the diversity around me.

6) No matter our differences, be welcoming:

Each year, the Barakat family would host a huge feast for everyone during the month of Ramadan. You didn't have to be Muslim to attend, it was an open invite. One year, Yusor and I were doing a welcome information session for a foreign exchange program we were involved with at NCSU.

We realized that since most of the students were away from their families, and they probably didn't have anywhere to eat a home cooked meal. Knowing this, Yusor decided we contact everyone we knew so that we could get all these students rides to the Iftar at the Barakat house. We didn't know these students that well and they were really different than us, both ethnically and culturally, but this didn't matter to Yusor. She cared unconditionally for everyone and would go out of her way to comfort people.

Yusor taught me the importance of being welcoming to others, to find the beauty in our differences rather than letting it separate us, and that love will always overpower hate. There are millions of refugees who have split oceans looking for a home in the U.S. to replace the one they had lost, and Yusor reminds me everyday that treating the refugees as a problem IS the problem. We must do everything we can to help those in need, no matter how different they look.

7) Family is everything:

Deah, Yusor, and Razan were good to those they loved. They made sure to devote time to their families no matter what. Although Deah's sister, Suzanne, lives in California, they still maintained a really close relationship. And although Razan and Yusor's brother, Yousef, lived all the way in Antigua they always kept in close contact and made sure to spend time with him when he visited.

Razan and Yusor were inseparable, they both respected and cared for each other so much. Beyond that, the relationships all three of them had with their parents were admirable. They were caring and they expressed the love they had for their families so openly. One thing I remember about Deah is how he was always there whenever his parents needed him. There were quite a few times when we would be in the middle of a basketball game and Deah would leave earlier than expected to go help his mom at home or his dad at work.

Deah, Yusor, and Razan taught me that family is more than a six-letter word we use to justify talking back to our parents or fighting with our siblings. They taught me that just as each letter is essential in forming this word, so is each member of a family. Love your parents, hug your siblings, kiss your children, because you never know when you may lose them.

8) Love unconditionally:

Deah protected his family till the end. They were his heart and he was their armor. He loved Yusor and Razan more than any of us can even express. Deah and Yusor were the most perfect couple I have seen. It is very rare that you look at two people and the lights within their souls reflect on everything around them. I still remember the first time I met Yusor at my friend's birthday dinner. Deah was so loving and affectionate towards her. That love and affection was even more evident on their wedding day. I have never seen Deah that happy in my life. He looked to her on the stage with a gaze of complete and utter adoration. Deah and Yusor's bond was the kind you saw in movies, the kind that is so deep it's hard to believe that it exists in real life. I still remember the way Deah would tease Yusor, and she would laugh and say his name but it would just sound like Deaahahaha (sounds cuter when she did it).

9) Help others as much as you can:

Yusor, Deah, and Razan each loved to serve others, in both our local community as well as across the world. They did whatever they could to help others and stand up for justice, not for the praise, but because of the joy and satisfaction they felt in seeing the smiles of the people they helped. I used to see Yusor at every fundraising or community event I attended. Before her passing, she was helping me plan a Health Fair for the low-income and marginalized members of our community. Yusor used to help in every event she possibly could locally, and she even collected dental supplies from the community to take to refugee camps in Turkey with her mom. Razan led a project that consisted of providing food and other supplies to homeless people in the downtown area. These are the types of things they did that spoke volumes about them after their deaths.

10) Find a cause you're passionate about and go crazy with it:

While in dental school, Deah decided he wanted to help provide dental care to the Syrian refugees, a people who had for the most part been forgotten. He knew exactly what he wanted to do so he set out to do it. He set a goal of $20,000, which would allow him to buy the dental supplies he needed and take a group of volunteers with him to help overseas. He called it "Project Refugee Smiles". Deah had big goals in mind and even a bigger heart. When his dad told him "You have long way to go, my friend", Deah responded saying, "Dad, I'm going to try. I'm going to give it my best." By the time he was killed, Deah had already raised $16,000 for Project Reufgee Smiles. Deah taught me that every single person has the ability to make a difference in the world, it just takes passion and determination. He never raised the $20,000. He raised over $500,000.

I am Deah Barakat. I am Yusor Abu-Salha. I am Razan Abu-Salha. I am every tear wept on that tragic day and everyday since, tears that compete with rain to flood oceans. I am every ache associated with their names, each ache so powerful that it makes my body forget how to stand.

As my fingers shake typing this piece, begging the keys to help me find the words to stitch sentences that would do them justice, I find comfort in one fact: We are their legacy. We are the successors of their story, the ambassadors of their mission, and the followers of their footsteps. And it is on us to continue carrying on their legacy. We must.

There are two HUGE ways you can carry on the legacy of Our Three Winners:

1. Project Lighthouse: Deah once tweeted he had a dream to inspire his community and that is exactly what this project is all about. If you would like to make his dream a reality, check out their website.
2. Our Three Winners Endowment: Deah, Yusor, and Razan were heavily involved in doing good and you can help continue their work by supporting the initiatives they set in place. Deah and Yusor's dental missions, Razan's feeding the homeless initiatives, educational programs, and more will live on through the Our Three Winners Endowment

A special thanks to Asem Rahman, Doha Hindi, Hoda Abrahim, Nida Allan, Sara Dahbour, and all the friends of Our Three Winners who wished not to be named but helped put this together.

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