By Disclaimer: We at Muslim Girl do not condone or excuse any acts of violence against the victims affected by this tragedy. This article is meant to highlight a vital issue in the media coverage of an attacker in light of rampant Islamophobia and racism — it is meant to engage and focus solely through that lens.
When I heard your name, I had to sit down and remind myself to breathe.
Abdul Razak Ali Artan.
Somali-American. Your family fled the civil war, much like mine.
Your story read like so many others before you, and that made it so much harder to read. You were not a bad person, Abdul Razak. The owner of the convenience store you frequented said you were kind and educated. Your former boss said you were a “good kid” and that she was stunned when she knew it was you. And I’m sure this morning all the people who knew you woke up with the same numbness.
Media can play the narrative of terror, but we must afford our own the privilege of being mental health. We need to talk about it.
May Allah (SWT) bestow his mercy on you. And I didn’t know you, but what I do know is that your story is similar to far too many young men who lost their way. And that tells me that we are failing as a community. And I see it happening every single day. We have failed you. We have failed those who feel isolated, those who are vulnerable and those who on the fringes of our community.
Often the ones who don’t fit into our “ideals” are shunned in our community and religious spaces. We isolate each other—by class, race, sexual orientation, and so many other things…and then we scratch our heads and ask ourselves how this could be happening? How the person you pray beside every jummah and shared dates with in Ramadan could do this?
We have failed you. We have failed those who feel isolated, those who are vulnerable and those who on the fringes of our community.
But how many times are we going to ask the same questions, without looking at our problems? It’s happening, because we are allowing it to. How we treat each other in our community spaces, how we care for each other and about our collective wellbeing is the reason this happens. We let hatred into our spaces, and ask why people pull away and find solace in cults that accept them with open arms.
We do not have a “radical Islam” issue because radical Islam is an oxymoron. But we have an issue with whom we accept into our spaces and who we treat with dignity. Our spaces are often so full of racism, misogyny and bigotry that the only thing Islamic about them is the writing on the walls.
What happened after the Artan family came to the U.S.? Reports say he was born in a refugee camp, and came to the United States two years ago. And so I am asking, who has asked him about the trauma he encountered? You do not escape civil war without psychological trauma. Who welcomed the family? Who took them to counseling? Who made them feel welcome? We rally for refugees but what do we do for the refugees that are less “trendy?”
We do not have a ‘radical Islam’ issue because radical Islam is an oxymoron. But we have an issue with whom we accept into our spaces and who we treat with dignity.
We saw an outpour of support for refugees in this last year. But did we treat refugees from all countries equally? I think we all know the answer to that.
This happened because we allowed it to happen. And the media will say that, but they will say it is because of radicalization and ISIS and other nonsense they chose to attribute to the mosque. We are responsible, but not for radicalization—for pushing people away and making them feel alone in a climate that is already so anti-Muslim. And a climate that would be even harder for Artan, a Black refugee. Because Muslims are not the only marginalized people being victimized, and to be both Black and Muslim is a struggle many in our masjids will never fully understand.
Artan will not be afforded the privilege of being seen as someone whose mental health suffered. Black men and Muslim men rarely are, and he was both.
We are responsible, but not for radicalization—for pushing people away and making them feel alone in a climate that is already so anti-Muslim.
We need to give him that. We need to understand his story. Understand the severe trauma and emotional suffering that would cause someone as kind and educated as Abdul Razak Ali Artan to commit murder.
We cannot fail one more person. We cannot allow one more family to experience this. If we do not take care of each other, if we do not advocate for each other, who will? Especially now.
There is a lot of work that we need to do in understanding.
We cannot marginalize one another further. We cannot let barriers and class and race divide who we afford kindness and compassion to. Media can play the narrative of terror, but we must afford our own the understanding of mental health. We need to talk about it.
Abdul Razak, I’m sorry we failed you, may Allah (SWT) forgive you of your sins and give peace to your family. Ameen.
Your beautiful heart and soul shine through the mercy & wisdom you extend. Brava. Namaste.
Please come out of your shell…Don’t blame USA or its people for failing a person who forgot which country gave him shelter,support,shelter..
If you want love then you have to give it to others..He attacked his fellow countrymen for something done in Burma…What kind of logic was that..and what was mistake of fellow Americans
Where was the USA blamed for this? Please highlight the paragraph. A direct quote would be ideal.
“This happened because we allowed it to happen. And the media will say that, but they will say it is because of radicalization and ISIS and other nonsense they chose to attribute to the mosque. We are responsible, but not for radicalization—for pushing people away and making them feel alone in a climate that is already so anti-Muslim.”
They never made it clear who “we” is referring to but it’s safe to assume they meant either the Ohio State student body or the American population as a whole.
Did anyone here actually read the article, or not incredibly biased? I thought it was clear that she was talking to the muslim community, especially since the site’s name is muslimgirl.
“And that tells me that we are failing as a community.”
“Often the ones who don’t fit into our “ideals” are shunned in our community and religious spaces. We isolate each other—by class, race, sexual orientation, and so many other things…and then we scratch our heads and ask ourselves how this could be happening? How the person you pray beside every jummah and shared dates with in Ramadan could do this?”
When you read this do you think she is talking about Ohio state or the American population as a whole? I sure don’t.
I completely agree. I believe this article is referring to the Muslim community. The victims absolutely did not deserve this, but we have to realize that we need to look out for each other more. We need to take mental health seriously and realize that those among us who are suffering may need our guidance to find the right services and help, such as counseling. The Muslim community needs to work on being more inclusive, as this is what Islam teaches. Islam does not teach violence at all.
Yes, Abdul Razak, “we” failed you. But “we” also failed the numerous victims of your violent, unprovoked attack on randomly selected innocent human beings. Were any of them Black or Hispanic? Were any of them gay? Were any of them girls? Were any of them Muslims? Were any of them Muslim Girls? … Oh crap! “We” haven’t given a single thought to them, because “we” are wearing ideological blinders and “we” are not very deep thinkers!
Perhaps having a God that can not weep or lay down to be trampled on by His followers is the problem? Alllah failed to meet this man where he was, not us.
i’m not understanding your comment. what do you mean with this?
Nor take life — which Allah has made sacred — except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand retaliation or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life, for he is helped (by the Law).” [Quran 17:33]
Based on this verse, it is Islamically unlawful to murder anyone who is innocent of any crime. At this point, we would do well to remember the distinction between the Quran and Sunnah, and the Muslims. Only the Quran and Sunnah are guaranteed to be in accordance with what the Creator desires, whereas the Muslims may possibly deviate. Hence, if any Muslim kills an innocent person, that Muslim has committed a grave sin, and the action cannot be claimed to have been committed “in the name of Islam.”
Is the writer suggesting guilty by association here so that any non-Muslim can use guilt by association too and kill innocent Muslims?
I’m a Somali-American, a Muslim and, no matter what his motive is, I don’t see anything to justify and look for excuses for why the man harmed those innocent people. Shame!
“Nor take life — which Allah has made sacred — except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand retaliation or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life, for he is helped (by the Law).” [Quran 17:33] ***** In this passage what is “Just Cause.”
“Just Cause” refers to self-defence, protecting someone who cannot protect them self and war. It does not include the murder of innocents.
What does this passage mean? http://www.internetmosque.net/read/english_translation_of_the_quran_meaning/47/4/index.htm
By the logic of this article Dylan Roof should be lent sympathy because he felt like a “victim”. Radical Islam is not an oxymoron, it’s a redundancy. Muslims don’t attack because of prejudice from non-Muslims. If that were true you wouldn’t see radical Muslims killing peaceful Muslims in the Middle East. Artan should be allowed no sympathy for his crimes, and should be remembered as a menacing example of what no man should ever become.
But radical Islam is mostly killing peaceful Muslims in the ME!
Radical Islam is neither an oxymoron or a redundancy. Every monster deserves some sympathy they’re almost always that way as a reaction to something done to them. If you want to prevent more monsters you must understand why they turned out that way.
I’m assuming this article is saying that the Muslim community failed him or is she saying it is Ohio State and more largely America’s fail??? Or is it that everyone in the whole world failed him?
He was an enemy of the United States of America. Come at a police officer with a machete, catch a series of bullets. 10 people were stabbed and cut with a machete. The perpetrator of the crime declared allegiance to ISIS. Isis declared they are the enemy of the united states. Sometimes facts are facts. If he was a green space alien, those facts would not change. I have friends who are truely treatably mentally ill that I see on a regular basis. To hang this person in their category without a diagnosis, based upon a fluff piece of feel bad journalism? In my opinion, it is absolutely wrong, It dengrates those with true treatable mental illness to this ****** ‘s level. It takes my Muslim friends and throws rocks at them for not stopping him, holding him enough, supporting him enough. Timothy Mcveigh did not bomb the IRS building because Christian’s did not hold him enough. He did not do it because he was treatably mentally ill. Timothy McVeigh did it because he was a self declared enemy of the United States. Bomb a building, get caught, they execute you. This piece stones the Muslim community and treatably mentally ill at the same time. Religions set up defined social moreys based upon their beliefs. As citizens move to America they become a part of the melting pot. The piece in my opinion attempts to melt the religion by holding them responsible for his behavior. In my opinion he could have benefited from a counselor from the Ohio State University, having read his interview in the lantern. The counselor could have got him 10 counseling sessions. Some group therapy to make him feel a part of. Some meds if necessary. However it is predicated upon the patient wanting help. Meanwhile, Go Bucks beat Bama! 🙂 Thanks for letting me share my 2 cents.
He attempted to kill multiple people. He’s a bad person or you can argue there are *no* bad people. Radical Islam exists unless you are saying no radical terrorist is a true follower of Islam that’s a valid argument to make. However in your article you don’t make either argument. I have no idea if “radical islam” played any role in his attack. I’m not certain it matters at all. He failed himself, he failed us. I would not be surprised if society or “we” as you put it failed him too.
I wholly disagree with this. As a Muslim living in the US, I definitely support the idea that Muslim communities definitely need to eradicate the stigma of mental illness. However, enough evidence has been gathered to ascertain that while Artan might be emotionally disturbed, he was sound enough of mind to make a decision and he made a decision to kill – why on Earth should this be sympathized with? Why on Earth should the Muslim community be held accountable for his actions? Is that not akin to saying the same about Muslims being terrorists period? You don’t need to go to the masjid to get help. There are a plethora of resources available – some that cost no money at all. Did he seek these out? No. Whether or not he was a “bad” or “good” person is besides the point – the fact of the matter is that he attempted MURDER. He DID commit a crime of terrorism. If anything, other shooters are sympathized with for their mental illnesses in the media and it’s ridiculous. Yes, it’s a tragedy on both sides, but don’t minimize the crime. It was what it was. If you commit a terrorist act in the name of my religion, I won’t support you. I won’t coddle you. I won’t sympathize with you. Artan smeared the name of Islam like other terrorists. Nothing justifies it.
Muslims have no problem criticizing other ideologies. Fascism, catholicism, communism, capitalism, western imperialism, zionism… They are all rightfully criticized (also by muslims) for the evils they brought into this world. From the Crusades through the Holocaust, to occupation poverty, and death. It is all the fault of certain ideologies, amongst which certain religions.
Yet when it comes to the ideology called ‘islam’, muslims cannot find any fault with it. Muslims criticize other ideologies based on the fact that they produce evils; but not islam. Muslims are brainwashed into the idea that ‘islam’ cannot be wrong and cannot produce evil. In their mind, islam is ‘perfect’.
Even though it apparently can produce evil. And it does.
Of course, ‘not all muslims are guilty’ of whatever evil one muslim produces in the name of islam. Similarly, not every individual catholic is responsible for the crusades, and not every German, and not even every fascist, is personally responsible for the evils that nazism produced.
But that does not take away that the ideology called ‘islam’ produces evil. A lot of evil. Incessantly, and all over the world. There is a point at which you can no longer deny responsibility of this ideology for the evil it produces.
If the ideology called ‘islam’ motivates dictators, murderers and terrorists all over the world to suppress, kill, maime, terrorize and bomb civilians all over the world, we have good reason to criticize ‘islam’ for the murderous fanatism it produces.
There is no reason to exclude ‘islam’ from other ideologies that can be criticized for producing evil.
Abdul Razak “you better pivot if you don’t want to get hit by a civic”Ali Artan
Abdul Razak “better run far if you don’t want to get hit by my car”Ali Artan
Yup, it’s never Islam or the Jihadists fault. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever…..