I woke up on Sunday, June 12 to news that a gay nightclub in Orlando was attacked. Around a hundred people were shot inside Pulse, with 50 dead and 53 injured. The police state that the gunman appeared organized and well-prepared, adding that he had an assault-type weapon, a handgun and a mysterious device on him. They originally believed that the device was a switch that would have set off explosives either on his body or in his vehicle, but a U.S. official later confirmed that no explosives were found.
Orlando authorities identify the shooter as Omar Saddiqui Mateen, 29, who lived in Fort Pierce,120 miles southeast of Orlando. The FBI have declared this an act of domestic terrorism and are leaning toward Islamic terrorism because Islamophobia is so deeply ingrained in our law enforcement and government. At the time that this article is being written, it’s unknown whether the gunman was a Muslim, but if it does come up that he is, we should not allow this to spread hatred toward Middle Easterners.
Many American’s wrongfully believe that every Middle Easterner is a Muslim and wrongfully believe that many, or even all, are terrorists. Let me first explain what started radical Islamic terrorism. The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 was orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda. It was at one time thought to be a defined and hierarchical group, and it was formed by the United States government.
During the Cold War between America and Russia, the CIA aligned itself with al Qaeda. In those days, America saw only two sides: on one side was the Soviet Union and Third World nationalism and on the other were Western nations and militant political Islam. The CIA trained Osama Bin Laden, who in turn trained his followers in al Qaeda. Al Qaeda literally means “the database” in Arabic, and was originally a computer database of thousands of Islamist extremists. They were trained by the CIA and given weapons from the CIA, all so that they could fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. The American government created the people that attacked us on 9/11, and it is the American government's fault that millions of Muslims and Middle Easterners have been bullied, attacked or even killed for their nationality and religion.
In 2015, many people took to Twitter and used the hashtag #afterseptember11 to tell their stories of the racism and prejudice they were inflicted because of a group that had nothing to do with them. One Muslim Twitter user wrote “#afterseptember11 I grew up without a mom because someone with a gun decided that she needed to answer for it with her life.” Another writes "#afterseptember11 being chased off the playground almost everyday while kids screamed at me 'your dad killed the towers.'" Many of these Twitter users were told to "let America have their moment" and it's almost as if they weren't born and raised in America. As if they didn't also grieve for the lives lost that day. As if they themselves didn't lose someone that day as well. It isn’t just Muslims that have been targeted either. Desis, Arabs and Sikhs have all suffered for 14 years because of the acts of a group they had nothing to do with. And they suffer even more now with the rise of ISIS.
My point is that we can’t look that this shooting at Pulse as an act of radical Islamic terrorism. It’s an act of terrorism toward homosexuals. The shooter saw two men kissing during Miami’s gay pride parade and decided to target Pulse, a famous gay club in Florida. This has nothing to do with Muslims. This has nothing to do with Islam. ISIS doesn't even represent Islam in the slightest, though many American's will swear up and down that it accurately represents what the Quran is "truly" about. The father of the shooter even says himself that this attack was not because of religion. We need to see this for what it truly is: This act of terrorism is directed toward the homosexual community. It was done because the attacker wanted to deny two men their right to love each other.
I write this because I ask—beg—all of those who read this to protect their Muslim, Desi, Arab and Sikh friends and family members who will undoubtedly be blamed by other people for this horrific massacre. And to the families of those who were killed and injured in this shooting, my prayers are with you. The homosexual community and the Middle Eastern community need to stay strong as they continue their fight to end prejudice, and let both communities know that I stand with you, as both a bisexual woman and a continued supporter of all Arabic, Sikh, Desi and Muslim people.
