Posted on 11/29/2016 7:23:33 AM PST by TigerClaws
At an off-campus coffee shop Monday, Ohio State University senior Mohamed Farah catches up on his homework.
"I didn't get a lot of work done today just because there's a lot going on," he says. "I tried to stay away from the news, but I kept going back to it."
Enlarge this image Ohio State University senior Mohamed Farah says his stomach fell when he heard the attacker was also a Somali refugee. Esther Honig/WOSU 89.7 Farah first learned of an attack on campus when security sent a text to the entire university: "Active shooter on campus: Run Hide Fight."
But the attacker did not use a firearm. According to police, he drove a car into pedestrians, then got out and attacked people with a butcher knife. Eleven people were injured before police shot and killed the suspect.
Farah says at first he feared for the safety of his friends and fellow students. Then, as more details were confirmed, his fears turned inward.
"When I first heard that he was Somali, I mean my stomach did fall," he says. "Not just because of what happened today, but because of what will happen tomorrow."
Police identified the suspect as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, who The Associated Press say was a refugee from Somalia.
Farah, who is a Somali refugee and a Muslim, says attacks blamed on terrorism have a familiar aftermath on campus: snide comments, peering eyes and a feeling of uneasiness.
Suspect Killed After Knife And Vehicle Attack At Ohio State University THE TWO-WAY Suspect Killed After Knife And Vehicle Attack At Ohio State University "Those Somali men and women, the ones that wear a head scarf or the ones like myself with the name Mohamed, tomorrow will be a day of trepidation," he says.
Looking through tweets, Farah says the negative ones from his fellow OSU students are the most painful, like one that says as a Somali refugee, Artan "bit the hand that fed him."
"That one really, it shakes the core of you, you know," Farah says.
At the moment little is known about Artan. Authorities believe he acted alone but they do not know the motives behind the attack. In August, the recent transfer student was interviewed by the school newspaper in a series called "Humans of OSU." Artan said he didn't feel comfortable praying on campus.
Enlarge this image Horsed Noah, director of one of the largest Islamic centers in Columbus, says when he heard about the attack he had one though: "I hope [the suspect] is not a Muslim." Esther Honig/WOSU 89.7 "If people look at me, a Muslim praying," he said, "I don't know what they're going to think."
Horsed Noah, director of one of the largest Islamic centers in Columbus, runs a youth group for Somali men and women. He says he didn't know Artan, but reading that interview, he thinks the young man had become isolated.
"That definitely should have been a red flashing light," Noah says.
Noah says when he first heard about the attack at OSU, he had one thought: "I was with my wife and I said, 'I hope he is not a Muslim.' "
On Monday, Noah held community meetings to calm parents and children who are scared to return to work and school. He says his community is as shocked as the rest of the country.
Today, classes at OSU resume.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading it, but I don't think I'm going to skip class. I think I'm going to be there. I'm going to have conversations," Farah says. "I choose love. I affirm life.
Farah says he is as proud as ever to be a Buckeye.
A clue for Mohammed:
There is an alternative to Islam that doesn’t require you to slaughter infidels. Think about it.
That is a great example! Thank you for that.
“It’s interesting the 12 people with “GOD HATES FAGS” signs represent all of Christianity, but the thousands of murdering Muslims we see every year have nothing to do with Islam.”
If you didn't make a public spectacle of it there wouldn't ever be a problem.
Another story I heard today from KABC radio is a vile letter was sent to a mosque. The FBI will not investigate as no specific threat was made. My guess it was mailed from the mosque to the mosque to portray them as victims.
Why did he assume he was likely Muslim?
Ah, NPR, first and foremost when it comes to virtue signalling. Other people worry about the victims, they’re better than that. And better than you, by the way.
Lets just start a Go Fund Me account for plane ticket OUT of America.
I’m sure their is plenty of funds available to just pay them to leave. Might even get a few white trash new converts as well.
Hell, there will lines of folks nationwide pushing aside real muslims to get a free $100,000 and a passport plus a plane ticket to leave America, especially Hillary voters, but sorry folks you have to prove you are a muslim with radical intentions first! No counterfeit muslims please!
There needs to be one, and these sub-human muslims know it.
They have nothing to fear if they denounce and expose and help root out all jihadis in their midst.
Yeah, you never read a headline about Christians fearing a “backlash”, or see democrats taking to the airwaves to warn against “attacking christians” when some purported christian commits some crime in the name of their religion.
What should happen on the "tomorrow" of each and every one of these attacks by muslims is for the muslim community to come out and honestly speak out against such. But they don't. When they get caught laughing and cheering, the next time they grab a camera to whine that they're being persecuted by the big mean whiteys. Sorry, bubba, that doesn't play well, either.
Until a real backlash does occur the islamists will continue to kill us.
Well, heck. With all the anti-gun articles they already had lined up and pre-written, they had to fill that empty space with SOMETHING.
No kidding. It isn’t like there have been any historical precedents or anything like that.
The problem is LACK of backlash. There should be sign-carrying vigils outside his parents’ home and his mosque. Make that ALL mosques and Islamic centers.
Can't wait for the articles about mosques being spray painted but the security cameras were mysteriously not operating during the time of the incidents so no culprits can be identified.
Worried about backlash? Always
Worried enough about more these sorts of events to turn in seriously potential threats? Never
Germans Fear Backlash over Poland Invasion.
In order to accomplish these laudable goals under our rule of law, it is necessary that we officially recognize that Islam is NOT a religion, but a socio-political system masquerading as one. Until that is the case, our own laws forbid using the solution.
Whew, what a relief! I was really starting to get worried about the lack of a “Muslims fear backlash” story! /s
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