Muslim Teen Abducted and Murdered in Fairfax County

Police found the remains of 17-year-old Nabra in a pond in Sterling, VA, after she was reported missing on the night of June 17, according to NBC Washington. Friends of the victim confirmed she was walking with a group of girls after leaving the ADAMS Center, a mosque in Sterling, after late night Ramadan prayers when she got into an altercation with a man who got out of his car and assaulted the group with a baseball bat. Nabra was hit and fell behind.

WJLA-TV reported that police are waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. Darwin Martinez Torres, 22, has been charged with murder in connection with the death, according to VA News.

In the wake of the news, the Muslim community is shocked, mourning the inhumane killing of the young woman especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan – when Muslims seek God’s mercy through dedicated prayers and worship. This post, that shared details of Nabra’s assault, described how the Muslim youth are being targeted and continue to be unsafe in our communities.

My heart is BROKEN. Beautiful 17 year old Nabra beaten to death in Virginia and body found in a pond. I can't take this anymore. 😞💔 pic.twitter.com/gw4bi7LVJM

— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) June 18, 2017

https://twitter.com/omarsuleiman504/status/876563897003782147

Rest in peace Nabra. May God have spared you from the terror of what was done to you. pic.twitter.com/AUuZDSeeyK

— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) June 18, 2017

A young woman was murdered last night after evening prayers in Virginia. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

— suhaib Webb (@ImamSuhaibWebb) June 18, 2017

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, anti-Muslim hate crimes spiked nearly 600 percent in 2016 fueled by political anti-Islam discourse. Muslim women in the U.S. have been easy targets for Islamophobes because of their visibility and Nabra, like many other Muslim women, wore the hijab and was easily identified as Muslim because of it.

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