The New York Times takes a look at how the Orlando attacks affected Muslim teenagers. “I just don’t get it,” says 17-year old Muhammad, a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in Coney Island who recently emigrated from Pakistan with his family. “Islam is all about peace. In Ramadan, we don’t even curse. You’re not supposed to do anything bad.” Muhammad’s father moved his family to the United States so his children could have a good education.
“If you have education, you are a different person,” says the father of 15-year old Salwa Mozzeb who works as a doorman at a New York hotel. After the attacks, he warned his daughter to be careful on the subway which bothered her. “I’m just like any other 15-year-old here,” says Salwa. “I want to hang out and chill. I don’t want to stress about feeling like I’m different because I’m Muslim.”
Muhammad recalled that just a few weeks ago, he and his family were moved by Muhammad Ali’s passing and proud of all that he accomplished as a Muslim but now, post Orlando, they are hurt and angry. “It takes people like Muhammad Ali to do good things for Islam,” says the teen, “and then it takes seconds for people like Omar Mateen to destroy everything.”
