North Carolina Community Remembers Muslim Victims of 2015 Hate Crime

IQNA – The Chapel Hill community gathered to honor the memory of three Muslim American students, a decade after their tragic deaths sparked national outrage and calls for justice.

Ten years after the tragic deaths of three Muslim American university students in Chapel Hill, the community continues to reflect on the incident, which many now recognize as a hate crime rather than the parking dispute initially cited.

On February 10, 2015, Deah Barakat, 23, a dental student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, who planned to join the same program, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha, 19, a student at North Carolina State University, were fatally shot by their neighbor, Craig Hicks.

Four years later, Hicks pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and received a life sentence without parole.

While early reports suggested the crime stemmed from a disagreement over parking, evidence later revealed Hicks harbored anti-Muslim sentiments.

Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who was close friends with the victims, recalled, "We know that their murderer had posted about hating Muslims and hating Islam."

She described prior incidents where Hicks allegedly threatened the couple, particularly targeting Yusor for her visible Muslim identity, CBS 17 reported on Monday.

Since the shooting, advocacy groups such as the Our Three Winners Foundation have worked to combat hate and promote tolerance.

The Light House Project recently hosted a ‘Day of Light’ ceremony honoring the victims' legacy, part of broader efforts including annual food drives that have provided approximately 400,000 meals to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina over the past decade.

In 2023, filmmaker Tarek Albaba released the documentary “36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime,” exploring the case and the family's campaign to have the murders recognized as hate crimes.

Asif Khan, who supported the documentary’s impact campaign, stated, "We’re making sure a story like this never happens again and honoring the memory of these souls we lost 10 years [ago]."

Commemorative events continue, with screenings of the documentary scheduled at UNC on February 11 and 12. The Light House Project also plans a final food donation collection on February 23 in Cary, North Carolina, reflecting the enduring impact of Deah, Yusor, and Razan's memory.

Source: Agencies