Public Comment

Chapel Hill shootings

Ramlah Malhi
Friday February 20, 2015 - 02:51:00 PM

While I was privileged to be in class, three innocent lives were taken on Tuesday, February 10th. This isn’t hidden news. Rather news headlines depicted the murder of three Muslim students, execution style, in Chapel Hill near the University of North Carolina.

Being a student myself, I and my fellow students are well aware that now no place is safe anymore from terrorists whether be it homes, universities, or elementary schools. It used to be that parents would send their children to school without any worries, knowing that they will be safe but today things are different. Horrific incidents such as the Sandy Hook elementary shooting, Peshawar school shooting, and now Chapel Hill shooting have brutalized students across the world.

The disappointment is that initially the Chapel Hill shooting incident has had very little coverage by the media which caused an outcry on social media. In my opinion Craig Hicks, the killer, of the three students, who were very active members of their community, was clearly a terrorist then why has the media not given any attention to it? He took the lives of three innocent students then why has the media forgotten about these them? The Holy Quran states, “Whoever killed a person...it shall be as if he killed all humanity” (5:33). 

As a student I am saddened to see this incident which occurred near a university get little coverage. It only brings to mind the thoughts that the reason this went ignored was because the three were Muslims and the terrorist was a white man. The lives have been lost and nothing can bring them back but we can give the lives enough importance for this incident to be condemned and covered by the media. I would not be wrong to say that all students across the nation and world stand united in condemning such act and send our prayers and condolences to the families of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha. 


Ramlah Malhi is a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, the oldest Muslim organization in the United States. Raised in the Bay Area, Malhi is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. She also organizes and leads service projects such as the Muslims for Life initiative and teaches a class, Jesus, Muhammad, and the Modern State, at Berkeley.