New York Times<\/a>, Waleed Shaalan died a hero: according to Randy Dymond, a civil engineering professor at Virginia Tech, Mr. Shaalan was in a classroom with another student when the gunman entered and opened fire.<\/p>\nMr. Shaalan was badly wounded and lay beside the other student, who was not shot but played dead, as the gunman returned two times searching for signs of life. Just as the gunman noticed the student, Mr. Shaalan made a move to distract him, at which point he was shot a second time and died. The student believed that Mr. Shaalan purposefully distracted the shooter to save him, Mr. Dymond said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWaleed was bright, energetic and caring,\u201d Mr. Dymond said. \u201cThe reason we are in higher education is because there are students who are the bright light to the future. Waleed was one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was my brother who died there. That was my brother who put his own life on the line to save the life of someone else. That was my brother who embodied Islam\u2019s teaching that the sanctity of life is paramount. Now, to be clear: Mr. Shaalan is not my actual, \u201cblood\u201d brother. Rather, he was my brother in faith: \u201cThe believers are one brotherhood\u201d (49:10)<\/p>\n
Still, Waleed Shaalan gave his life to follow the instructions of the Qur\u2019an: \u201c\u2026if anyone saves a life, it shall be as if they have saved all of humanity.\u201d (5:32) This is how the majority of Muslims live and act. This is what the majority of Muslims believe about life and death. Waleed Shaalan is the true face of Islam, not the murderous, vicious soldiers of Satan who kill and destroy and claim they are doing so in Islam\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
Thus, for some to try to link Islam to the Virginia Tech shootings is insulting. When it first came out that the shooter was \u201cAsian,\u201d some people asked the question: \u201cWere they from Pakistan and part of a terrorist attack?\u201d How sickening.<\/p>\n
Of course, I am also sickened by the acts of terrorism committed by some Muslims in the name of Islam. Of course, authorities must consider all possibilities when investigating an incident as terrible as the shootings at Virginia Tech. But to automatically assume that it is \u201cterrorism\u201d whenever something even remotely connected to Islam shows up, this is plain wrong.<\/p>\n
Waleed Shaalan was what Islam is all about: kindness, caring, compassion, and respect for life. Rather than take your life senselessly, you will find that the overwhelming majority of Muslims would do what they can to save your life, because, their religion tells them so.<\/p>\n
<\/i><\/p>\n
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago physician and writer. He is the co-author of \u201cThe Beliefnet Guide to Islam<\/a>,\u201d published by Doubleday in 2006. His blog is at godfaithpen.com.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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