Three Muslim college students were fatally shot at their apartment near the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill campus Tues., Feb. 10. Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; Yusor Mohammad, 21; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were pronounced dead at the scene. Although a police spokesperson said that the shooting was product of an ongoing parking dispute, the event has sparked a discussion about Islamophobia across the country.
The UC Davis Muslim Student Association organized a vigil Wednesday night in which several hundred students and members of the community attended on the Quad.
Additionally, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent out an email Wednesday night in which she condemned the crime.
“No matter what the motive for these murders turns out to be, we understand from recent events at UC Davis and the ugly attacks through social media on some of our own Muslim students, that Islamophobia is extremely hurtful and must not be tolerated,” she said in her email.
Regardless of the circumstances of this tragedy, it is important to acknowledge that Islamophobia is a severely overlooked problem on our campus and greater community in general. We should work to maintain the inclusivity on our campus and to be mindful of the diversity of our student body and the right to feel safe at all times. We would like to reiterate that there is no place for hate on this campus, and we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of these victims.
Graphic by Jennifer Wu
