Chapel Hill killings shine light on particular tensions between Islam and atheism

[rug]

A woman places flowers near a building where three young Muslims were killed on Tuesday, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina February 11, 2015. Craig Stephen Hicks, the gunman who had posted anti-religious messages on Facebook was charged with killing Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad and Yusor’s sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in what police said on Wednesday was a dispute over parking and possibly a hate crime. REUTERS/Chris Keane

By Michelle Boorstein
February 11

The alleged assassination by an outspoken North Carolina atheist of three of his Muslim neighbors is shining a light on particular, deep tensions between two tiny American groups: Muslims and atheists.

Police in Chapel Hill Wednesday said they are only at the start of their probe into Craig Hicks’ life and what led up to Tuesday night, when he allegedly shot and killed husband and wife Deah Barakat, 23, and Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Mohammad’s sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. They said initial reports indicated that there was a dispute about parking but that their investigation continues.

Police arrested Hicks, 46, and charged him with the shootings. Hicks turned himself in “without incident” to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in nearby Pittsboro, Chatham County Sgt. Kevin Carey said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the father of the two women said one of his daughters had mentioned Hicks’ before and felt he was anti-Muslim. A week ago, he said, she told her family she had “a hateful neighbor.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/02/11/chapel-hill-killings-shine-light-on-particular-tensions-between-islam-and-atheism/

[cbayer]

1. Interesting response there from Sam Harris.

I hope it takes this as an opportunity to tone down his rhetoric.

If there is a positive outcome, it would be for those who are promoting anti-muslim sentiments to step back.

[rug]

2. Between the "attack the belief not the person" bullshit, particularly obnoxious in the context of

three murdered Muslims, he managed a plug for his new book. Maybe that's why he insisted the email could not be edited.

[cbayer]

3. Yes, he really hasn't backed down very much.

I think the author (who I generally like anyway) makes some really good points about how the anti-islam rhetoric just adds more fuel to the already burning fire. While I don't think Dawkins and Harris are responsible for this in any way, I would like to see them acknowledge that their rhetoric can have unintended consequences and see them take a different approach.

But I'm not going to hold my breath.

[Fumesucker]

4. I wouldn't want anything I wrote for publication of that sort edited either

It's far too easy to completely change the meaning of someone's words with only extremely minor editing.

But I'm sure you knew that.

[rug]

5. I wouldn't want to plug my book if I chose to respond to their query.