HOUSTON – I don’t know too many Muslim journalists in Houston or the U.S., but I became one so I could help lift voices of communities like mine.
When the news broke about a Houston man, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, ramming a truck through a crowd of people just trying to celebrate the New Year and that he had a makeshift ISIS flag on the truck he rented, it stirred up some old feelings. And of course, when the FBI called it a terrorist attack, I was taken back to 9/11 when I was 8 years old. Despite having zero concept of the world, I and other Muslims, had to face and endure scrutiny for the actions of depraved Muslims.
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Law enforcement officials have not released a motive for why Jabbar killed 14 people and injured over 30 others. They have told us he made threats to his family beforehand and was twice divorced. Conspiracy theorists on social media are focused on the ISIS flag hitched on the back of the truck he rented from Turo.
Public records also show Jabbar’s home address was in northwest Harris County on Crescent Peak Drive, less than a mile from the mosque I went to growing up. We don’t know if Jabbar attended that mosque or why he chose to live in that area. To be completely honest, I also haven’t been to that mosque in about 10 years, but I used to teach Sunday School there and had childhood friends who lived nearby, so naturally, this hit close to home.
For about 24 hours, the FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team set up a perimeter while they conducted a court-authorized search. Thankfully, the FBI said there are “no threats to residents in the area.” After a brief back-and-forth, officials ultimately concluded Jabbar appeared to have been working alone.
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A few hours after the scene cleared, I went to that mosque: Masjid Bilal, which also serves as an Islamic school called (Darul Arqam) to see what the vibe was like in the hopes of also speaking with other Muslims to help denounce Jabbar’s actions.
I am by no means an example of a “good” Muslim, nor do I try to pass myself off as one, but that doesn’t mean I’m unqualified to denounce his actions. If I wasn’t limited to language, and tied to journalistic integrity, I’d tell you how I really feel.
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Despite my best efforts to reach out all of Thursday morning and afternoon via phone calls and emails to Muslim community leaders, like the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) no one got back to me in time for this report.
ISGH ultimately shared the following statement in a news release Thursday evening calling Jabbar’s actions in part an “act of terror and pure evil.”
Some folks just flat-out declined to speak with me entirely or ignored me.
This was disappointing, but sadly, not surprising because in my experience, many members of the Muslim community (especially from immigrant backgrounds) are too afraid to speak out. It doesn’t help some of them don’t trust the media either, which is a roadblock I’ve unfortunately, and often, run into.
The Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to its credit, shared the following statement early on condemning Jabbar’s actions, calling his attack “senseless and infuriating:”
“We join the New Orleans Muslim community in extending our condolences to the families of those killed in the horrific, senseless, and infuriating Bourbon Street attack. May God comfort the families of the victims, heal the injured, and protect humanity from those who dare to commit such cowardly acts of mass violence.
“If reports that the perpetrator was a man with a history of drunk driving and spousal abuse who plotted to kill his family before supposedly experiencing dreams telling him to join Daesh are true, then his crime is the latest example of why cruel, merciless, bottom-feeding extremist groups have been rejected by the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world – from Islamic scholars, to mosques, to organizations, and to individual Muslims.
“We strongly denounce this crime, we stand in solidarity with the people of New Orleans, we encourage anyone with relevant information to come forward immediately, and we pray for a full recovery of those impacted by this crime.”
CAIR also noted one of the victims, Kareem Badawi, was a Muslim American from Baton Rouge and University of Alabama student. The Islamic Shura Council of Greater New Orleans also shared a statement offering condolences to the victims.
“We are horrified by the attack last night on our community, which has resulted in many casualties and injuries. It has left us all in shock, and we are in mourning for the loss of our fellow citizens.
“Our prayers as Muslims of the Greater New Orleans Area are with the victims and their families during this difficult time, and we extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected.”
KPRC 2 reporter Joy Addison, also spoke with Jabbar’s brother who not only was shocked by his actions but admitted it wasn’t representative of their religion.
“Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to those families, the victims, and those who witnessed this tragedy,” he said. “This wasn’t the man I knew... This isn’t any representation of Al-Islam or Muslims or the Muslim community.”
Authorities are still trying to get a complete picture of who Jabbar was. He was a Beaumont native, who spent 10 years in the U.S. Military. Regardless of Jabbar’s motives, the FBI has made it clear he worked alone. He is responsible for his own actions, and no one needs to answer for his irreparable and inexcusable decision.