ON Friday I left a TV interview about the Christchurch massacre feeling empty no questions about the victims, no sensitivity about the impact on Muslims. I decided then to stop talking about the tragedy on their terms, and started a thread humanising our brothers and sisters. I decided to leave the TV and radio media alone.

It was frustrating and draining. They centred the terrorist, and typically, white male “terrorism experts” to speak first and most often. I felt like a token. Just a brown face there to fill a diversity or optics quota. Even though I’m a law professor, with articles in top journals and two books, my expertise wasn’t a priority. And, I’m not the kind of brown man who is going to smile and go with the plan.

I love truth, knowledge and uplifting the victims who look and believe like me. This is more than just a news story for us Muslims.

This is about mothers who could’ve been our mothers, girls who could be our sisters and daughters, men who resemble our dads and uncles, mosques that are the same as ours.

Islamophobia is rising and threatens all of us. So, I sank myself into not only identifying the victims but learning as much as I could about them — highlighting their lives and stories when media platforms were uninterested. It wasn’t planned, it just developed organically from the research, emails and notes I collected. It was an emotionally gruelling work, but deeply fulfilling. I saw my loved ones in the 50 victims, and felt obliged to honour them as best I could.

And as honorably as they deserve. We don’t need media outlets to tell our stories. In fact, we may be better off without them. Above all, I am a teacher. It’s a responsibility, not a job. I take it very seriously, especially when the focus is people — victims — who deserve care, respect and time. They aren’t just statistics. They matter. All 50 of them. No matter their race or religion.

Khaled Beydon
Detroit, USA

(2)

THE Australian terrorist who murdered 49 defenceless Muslims in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, suffered from Islamophobia.

The extremist had released his manifesto before the shooting and posted his evil and malicious plan days before on Facebook & Twitter showing his guns and pictures of the place that he intended to inflict mayhem.

On the day of massacre he livestreamed the harrowing video showing himself driving to a mosque, arming himself and then beginning the slaughter after declaring: ‘let’s get this party started’. His followers and friends on social media kept cheering and appreciating him. One even said “a few less Muslims - who cares” and someone wanted to buy him a beer to celebrate.

Xenophobic politicians in the West, social media, movies, TV shows and even video games are to be blamed for promoting Islamophobia and should be held responsible for the Christchurch massacre even if they did not actually pull the trigger.

M Khalid Kamal
Doha, Qatar

(3)

LIVE Facebook streaming of 50 Muslims brutally shot and murdered in two mosques in Christchurch has left all Muslims and other people shocked and very disturbed.

This atrocity has also left me wondering how Facebook could allow the livestreaming of something so terrible. Surely there must be some sort of checks to ensure the content of a livestream’s appropriateness for the audience.

It’s also made me wonder how two mosques in one of the safest countries in the world were so easily targetted by a lone 28-year-old deranged Australian. How did the assailant carefully plan maybe for years not one but two attacks and not come to the authorities’ notice?

More importantly, as a new mother, it makes me think about what sort of world we are bequeathing to our children. We think about migrating to safer shores but after Christchurch is any place safe?

We need to be proactive in teaching our children about inter-faith harmony, peace, kindness, love and tolerance.

Alizeh Khalid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2019