‘Let us come together to eliminate hate and promote love, tolerance and brotherhood’, Ahmadi Muslims

Source: freep.com

Metro Detroit Muslims say the discussion about these events has sometimes unfairly labeled Muslims as threats, putting them at risk.

“As Americans we need to educate ourselves and not let religious differences or misinformation ruin our great values,” said Dr. Mansoor Quereshi of Superior Township, who leads the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in metro Detroit. “Let us come together to eliminate hate and promote love, tolerance and brotherhood.”

The Michigan Muslim Community Council said it is mourning the death of both the three students and Kayla Mueller, the American humanitarian worker killed while being held hostage by ISIS.

(Photo: Getty Images)

“Let us honor the lives of these four by serving as they did,” the council said in a statement about Mueller and the three students shot dead. “Let us come together to pray for peace.”

Some Muslim leaders said that one positive thing to emerge after the Chapel Hill shootings was how Twitter helped quickly spread the news of what happened and helped properly frame the issue. Muslims and supporters brought attention with hashtags such as #ChapelHillShooting and #MuslimLivesMatter that kept trending even days after the shooting, resulting in widespread media coverage.

“You should have seen what happened on Twitter,” Tlaib said. “That’s what gave them a voice. That, to me, was justice, to be finally able to tell their story.”

Members of Take on Hate, an initiative started last year by the Dearborn-based National Network for Arab-American Communities, urges Arab Americans and others to get more involved with social media to combat bigotry.

The director of the Michigan chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Fatina Abdrabboh, said the shooting deaths illustrate the dangers some Muslims in the U.S. face. Muslim women who wear the hijab, an Islamic headscarf, are particularly concerned since they wear a visible symbol that can make them targets.

“Vulnerable communities such as ours need to be more vigilant,” Abdrabboh said. “We call for tolerance, safety and unity.”

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo

Vigil set

A community prayer vigil and memorial service is scheduled for today for the slain Chapel Hill students.

Where: Islamic House of Wisdom, 22575 Ann Arbor Trail, Dearborn Heights