When dealing with the murders of three young Muslim students earlier this month in Chapel Hill, one word has stuck with UNC-Wilmington student Nada Merghari—ummah.
Arabic for community, it is a term oft-used in Islamic texts to describe the coming together of people for a common purpose.
Amid a tragedy that has hit close to home, it’s that sense of community Merghari and her peers hope to create, not just for those who share their faith, but for the entire campus and community at large.
“I don’t believe ummah is just put to Islam,” Merghari said. “I think it can be put toward all communities. Whenever people come together and love one another, that is ummah to me.”
Merghari, president of the newly formed UNCW Muslim Student Association, and fellow members will hold “A Night of Remembrance,” a vigil for 23-year-old Deah Barakat, his wife, 20-year-old Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Abu-Salha, at 7 tonight in the Burney Center.
In a story that made headlines around the world, the newlyweds, along with Abu-Salha, were shot and killed on Feb. 10. The couple’s neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, later turned himself in and has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, according to regional and national media outlets.
Merghari said she and her peers are “distressed” by the crimes, especially since for several of her friends, the connection to the three slain Muslims runs much deeper than faith.
“Several of us are personally connected to these people,” she said, noting ties several UNCW students had to either the victims or their families.
Following the news of the murders, the UNCW Muslim Student Association held an informal gathering on campus last week.
“It was just a small vigil for people who wanted to grieve together,” she said.
A couple days later, the university’s Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Department approached the fledgling organization about staging a larger ceremony. Merghari, a freshman, is one of the founding members of the Muslim Student Association, which was created just last semester. Merghari said there are currently about 15 active members.
“A Night of Remembrance” will feature several speakers, including the leader of a Wilmington mosque and a family member of the victims.
Merghari hopes the event—meant to honor and celebrate the lives of the three promising young Muslims—will be the very definition of that weighty Arabic word she has found to be so relevant and meaningful.
“In times like these, when our hearts are heavy, it is imperative for us to stand together, to support each other, to honor those of us who have left this world and entered another, and to be there for one another when we truly need it the most,” she said.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at (910) 772-6341 or [email protected].
