In yet another of the innumerable examples of mixing political messages with condolences and condemnations, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has issued a statement labeling the recent killing of a Muslim family in North Carolina as “terrorism.” According to the ICNA statement:
Feb. 11, 2015) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) extends its deepest condolences to the families of three Muslim students who were shot and killed execution style in North Carolina yesterday.
Yusor Mohammad, 21, her husband Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, and her sister Razan Mohammad AbuSalha, 19 were shot at the North Carolina State University parking lot.
Deah was a second-year dentistry student; his wife was planning on starting there in the fall, while her sister was a student at North Carolina State University.
They were newlyweds with aspirations and plans for their lives; instead they have been killed by a man who openly spewed anti-Muslim rhetoric online.
Terrorism knows no religion, no skin color, and has no ethnic creed. ICNA calls on state and federal law enforcement to do a thorough investigation of this heinous crime. The President of ICNA,
Naeem Baig, has said ‘Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have been killed in such a senseless, abhorrent crime.
This goes to show that savagery and hatred knows no religion, no culture, and no skin color. We urge all people of conscious to continue to keep Deah, Yusor, Razan, and their families and friends in your thoughts and prayers.’”
The GMBDW notes that the murders may turn out to be a hate crime defined as “a usually violent, prejudice motivated crime that occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group” but there is no evidence of any kind suggesting terrorism.
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is a part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and considered to be closely tied to the Jamaat-e-Islami organization of Southeast Asia, itself allied with the Global Muslim Brotherhood. ICNA is particularly close to the Muslim American Society and the two organizations have been holding joint conferences in recent years. The organization is probably best known for its national billboard campaigns.