Supporters pray after a candlelight vigil at Hayden Lawn on Thursday. The vigil memorialized the Muslim victims of a shooting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, earlier this week. (Ben Moffat/The State Press)In the wake of a devastating tragedy at Chapel Hill shooting, hundreds of students, families and community members gathered on ASU's Hayden Lawn to remember and pay their respects to the three students who had their lives taken from them too soon.
On Tuesday, three young students, Deah Barakat, 23, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, who had just gotten married, and Yusor's sister Razan Abu-Salha, 19, were found shot in the head at an apartment complex near University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Fara Arefi, president of the interfaith organization Sun Devils Are Better Together, said the media needs to do a better job at exposing the truth in every situation, especially in a situation like this where the shooting was not reported by mainstream media for over 12 hours.
"The media is supposed to serve the people," Arefi said. "It's supposed to bring them information. It's supposed to tell them the truth. Amongst time, they don't tell people the truth, they tell them what they will get a reaction out of, even if that's a dangerous reaction."
When it comes to tragic incidents where Muslims are the victims, Arefi said news outlets need to accurately and fairly report those events.
"if the only time they (the public) hear about a killing is when (Muslims) are behind the gun, not in front of it, they're going to continue to get a reaction out of the public that creates this culture of violence that we're living in today," Arefi said. "Start showing people that Muslims, non-Muslims and people of all different backgrounds and identities do come together and show love for each other."
Sumayyah Dawud, of Phoenix, holds a sign at a candlelight vigil at Hayden Lawn on Thursday. The vigil memorialized the Muslim victims of a shooting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, earlier this week. (Ben Moffat/The State Press)Political science sophomore Brandon Marks said non-Muslims need to stand together with Muslims and distinguish each other not by faith, but by individual personality.
"As a non-Muslim attending this event, I think it is very important for non-Muslims to be an ally to those who are visibly religious and visibly a minority in this country," Marks said to the crowd. "Something I am taking from this is that we need to look at each other for who we really are and we need to look at the instances in our lives that make such who we are."
Molecular science and biotechnology junior Samar El-Sharkawy attended her best friend's wedding the same day Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha got married and another one of her friends worked at the same clinic in Turkey where Barakat worked.
The reason this tragedy has sparked a huge movement, El-Sharkawy said, was due to how any Muslim student could relate to the victims.
"This tragedy hits home for us because we see ourselves in these individuals," El-Sharkawy said. "Our parents came here, our grandparents came here, and we came here trying to build a better life. We could always say we're thankful to live in America, but now we're not even safe here, so where are we supposed to go?"
Deah and Yusor Abu-Salhahad just gotten married last December, with both of them studying dentistry at UNC. In their spare time, the couple, who friends described as "lovebirds," would volunteer to help the homeless.
To combat the devastating toll the Syrian Civil War had on its citizens, Deah began a fundraiser for Syrian Dental Relief, offering dental care and supplies to the Syrian refugees in Turkey. The fundraiser has raised over $280,000 of its $20,000 goal.
Razan Abu-Salha, Yusor Abu-Salha's younger sister, was studying architecture and environmental design at North Carolina State University and had supported charities such as Global Deaf Muslim, which fights for equal access to Islam for the deaf and hard of hearing.
El-Sharkawy, while addressing the crowd of hundreds with tears in her eyes, said the victims' lives were not lost in vain, due to the immense influence they left behind.
"If it is anything we must take away from this horrific incident is that we should always strive for greatness and strive to leave a beautiful legacy behind, as they did," El-Sharkawy said.
Reach the reporter at Jlsuerth@asu.edu or follow @SuerthJessica on Twitter.
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