(New York, NY. 08/06/2019) – In what seems to be daily-occurring tragedies, we find ourselves in the consistent nightmare of innocent lives lost due to the terrorism of White supremacy. In the past two weeks alone, we have witnessed three mass shootings committed by white terrorists in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH. Despite the different motives behind each shooting, the consistent pattern between White terrorism and mass shootings remains evident as two of the shooters shared racist views and manifestos.
As we grieve for the families affected by these horrific and inexcusable tragedies, we urge vulnerable communities to take precautions, to watch out for one another, and to unite together for the safety of one another. These horrific crimes are not isolated incidents, but instead are directly born out of deeply manifested hatred festering in the racist rhetoric and structural racism in the United States. We must continue to call out and take direct action against the dangerous words and policies coming out of our public officials and mainstream media.
Majlis Ash-Shura, an umbrella organization and representative of over 90 mosques and Muslim-led organizations in New York, mourns the 35 innocent lives stolen. Moreover, we must remain resilient in this fight against injustice, white supremacy, and bigotry.