DON'T LET HIS NAME SOUND MUSLIM

  Chronicle Herald:  I, and others, live with the fear that we may be attacked out of the blue while doing everyday things at any time. Then the unthinkable happens — news of the horrific Danforth Street shooting spree in Toronto this past week!

I was also particularly fearful about the identity of the shooter. For me as a Muslim — and I’m sure for many others — fear and anxiety doubles the minute there’s a shooting incident or attack of any kind. I immediately start praying that the gunman or attacker does not have a Muslim name, and more fervently that he is not connected with some crazy and murderous group whose adherents disguise themselves as followers of Islam. In reality, these groups are the furthest from it — and their only desire is to spread fear, terror and cause divisions among good people.
   We Maritimer Muslims work very hard to do as much good as possible, according to our teachings, and so do many other Muslims all over Canada. Yet it seems that no matter how much good we do, the minute one person with a Muslim name commits a crime, he becomes the face of Islam. As a result, all of us are cast in a bad light; hate and anger increase and more attacks take place against Muslims and immigrants perceived as such.