For Deah, Yusor, and Razan.

They were going to change the world.

This past week has been extremely emotional. I am still in disbelief, that someone can go into another persons home and shoot them, execution style over a “parking dispute.” It doesn’t sit well with me. To even mention it is trivializing their deaths, which I do not want to do. It is clear that there is indeed hatred in the world. My heart hurts, my heart is heavy thinking of those three incredible people. What a tragic loss for their families..for humanity.

What we cover on the news tells us what matters to us, how we cover that news tells who matters to us. I am still sickened by our media on how they reported this heinous crime, but I want to shift focus on how this atrocity has affected me, and how it has affected humanity.

I was not fortunate enough to meet Razan or Yusor and for that my heart also hurts, because clearly they were amazing. I only met Deah a couple of times. My brother was fortunate enough to go to school with him, to be friends with him, and from what Bilal always told me, he was indeed a sweet, generous, and a humble human being. As a Muslim, it is hard not to focus on the controversy of all of this. The hate Muslims are feeling, the fear that is completely valid. Being an American, I have never really felt fear living in this country. Even after 9/11, I always felt protected… because you always think, first and foremost I am American. For the first time, I have felt fear, I am AWARE of the fact that I am hated on because I am Muslim. It is not something I can explain. When your parents lecture you to not be so feisty about your passions or views, because you don’t know how someone else is going to react, is when you know there is something bigger going on. Islamophobia is REAL.

What Deah, Yusor, and Razan’s sudden deaths have taught me, is that life still has to go on.. sadly. As hard as it has been to focus on the good in the world, I want to change the perspective. I want to celebrate their love, their life, their incredible legacy – not just now but always. I want everyone to remember the good they started. It is crucial we focus on who they are and what they wanted to accomplish. Their wonderful lives were inspirational. It truly makes me want to be a better person. I want to live better, do better. I keep thinking what have I offered the universe? What have people gained from me? Why haven’t I done more? These questions are important, and we need to ask ourselves, what is it that we want people to remember us by. I see how they’ve inspired so many individuals. From Step Curry honoring Deah, to all these drives, and vigils in their names, in their legacies. It hurts, when I think of their lives taken too soon, in a senseless act but seeing the strength and patience their families and friends have exhibited is also very inspirational. It is EXACTLY what Islam teaches.

They indeed changed the world.