#OurThreeWinners: Chapel Hill shooting – remembering an American tragedy

While some may have already forgotten the Chapel Hill shooting of 2015, efforts are underway to preserve the memory of its three victims.

Narrated

3 min read

Taufiq Wan

12 Feb, 2017

The Chapel Hill shooting took place on February 10, 2015 [Anadolu]

Earlier this week Republican congressman Sean Duffy appeared on US television to make an astonishing claim about the recent Quebec City shooting, in which six Muslim worshippers were gunned down in a mosque.

"There's a difference," Duffy said, responding to a question by CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota about why President Trump failed to talk about the "white terrorists" involved in the attack.

"You don't have a group like ISIS or al-Qaeda that is inspiring people around the world to take up arms and kill innocents. ... That was a one off, Alisyn," he added.

Clearly perplexed by Duffy's claim, the CNN anchor challenged the congressman by mentioning the 1995 Oklahoma city bombing, which Duffy dismissed as being "20 years ago," as well white supremacist Dylann Roof's 2015 massacre of nine black Christians in a South Carolina church.

Significantly, Duffy had claimed that the Quebec shooting was a "one off" just days before the second anniversary of the Chapel Hill Shooting – one of the bloodiest atrocities committed against Muslims in America.

Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her 19-year old sister Razan were killed execution-style at a Chapel Hill apartment complex on February 10, 2015 by the couple's neighbour Craig Hicks.

Hicks, who portrayed himself as a pro-gun "anti-theist" who wanted "religion to go away," is currently in detention charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Many took to Twitter with messages of support in remembrance of the three victims and their legacy under the hashtag :

— Yasmina (@animsche)

— اسلام (@AfroArabian_)

— _ (@leenalilo)

— Lynn Zitawi (@LynnZitawi)

— Asma Rehman (@asmarehman97)

— mirdawg (@maryoomaaa__)

The Light House

While some may have already forgotten about the tragedy at Chapel Hill, friends and family members of the three victims have honoured their lost loved ones' memory with the recent opening of the "Light House".

The "Light House Project," which is based in a home once owned by Barakat, has been restored as an incubator for non-profits and youth organisations.

It is named after Deah, whose name means 'light' in Arabic.

"We decided that the best way to help youth programmes, as was my brother’s dream, and the best way to kind of be able to support the different types of programmes would be to offer an incubator for non-profit programmes, so we offer fiscal sponsorship and office space to faith-based programmes targeting the youth," said Deah's brother, Farris Barakat.

According to Barakat, two faith-based NGOs are currently using the home, which is open to organisations of all faiths and backgrounds.