By: Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Yesterday, an Australian-born white supremacist gunman committed the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand history. A 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant murdered 50 Muslim worshippers and injured 50 more during Friday prayers at two separate mosques. My project USA, Executive Director Zarqa Abid decribed this barbaric act best, “The murderer played music and live streamed the killing as if he was playing a video game.”
Muslims around the world were shocked and saddened to see such horror in New Zealand and they want the rest of the world to know that their lives are precious and matter too. Some have wondered what would have been the reaction if the Christchurch shooter was a Muslim and the victims were Christians or Jews?
The story with 24/7 news for days to come.Islam and Muslims would be put on trial. Trump will be having a ball tweeting about it.We would know what mosque the shooter attended, the charity he gave to, and his favorite vacation spot.The “Imam” of the mosque would be blamed for radicalizing the shooter and his rhetoric has stoked the attack.U.S. officials will be quick to condemn Muslims as bloodthirsty savages. It would lead on every TV station and a front page story in every newpaper with editorials denouncing Muslims.TV stations would preempt regularly scheduled programs for constant updates and analyses.Major TV networks will dispatch their top-notch hosts to broadcast from New Zealand.
The topic would be on every radio talk show for listeners to vent their frustration.We will see more people use the slogan “Je Suis Christchurch” or “Je Suis New Zealand.” FaceBook users around the world would pay tribute to the victims by changing their profile pictures.
Last but not least, Muslim communities would be asked the dumbest and most naive question: Do they condone or condemn this terrorist attack?