There has been a campus shooting at Northern Illinois University (NIU).
NIU can confirm six fatalities, including the gunman. Four of the dead were female and two, including the gunman, were male. In total, there were 22 injured or killed.
NIU can confirm that the shooter was an NIU graduate student in sociology in the Spring of 2007 but was not currently enrolled.
As’salaam Aleykum Wa Rahmat Ullah (Peace Be Upon You and Mercy from Allah) & Hello,
I am sure that each and every one of us has, at some point in his or her life, been visited by grief, tragedy, or tremendous loss, emotionally or materially. We can never know what those Students who’ve suffered an on-campus shooting are going through. However, we empathize and our hearts go out to you, and those of your class-mates who’ve lost their lives yesterday (2/14/2008). Though we may not be able to fully relate, we can all draw on experiences from our own lives. It may have been a serious illness or accident or death of a loved one, or we may have failed an important examination, or we may have seen a professional career which has grown and prospered over many years, finally come to an abrupt end.
To those who have suffered such losses and a tragic loss similar to the ones at Virgina Tech, and now – sadly, Northern Illinois University, their feelings are hard to describe adequately.
One can never understand, as a member of the Human race, how such evil can exist – but as a Muslim(s) and people existing on this earth collectively, we know that with-out darkness we may not know Light!
Let us consider Prophet Ayyub’s (Job) example, which appears in the Quran Sura Al- Anbiyya, v. 83 and 84:
“And (remember) Ayyub when he cried to his Lord “Truly distress has seized me but You are the Most Merciful of those that are merciful.”
So we call upon our Creator to ease our sufferings and make this tragedy a means of coming closer to Him – azza wa jall. We ask our Creator to help us understand such horrific, mindless acts and learn from them (if ever). Though we may be from various religious, socio-economic backgrounds we share one commonality – Hope! Hope for mankind and our world to be better than it is now. Hope that this will be the time of standing for peace, harmony, and justice for All people.
Hafsah bint Seereen (r.a.):
“O young people, utilize your youthfulness. Indeed I have seen people who have eyes yet are blind; O young people, employ time in that which may benefit you in the hereafter.”
The future is ours (with God’s permission) we are the leaders of tomorrow, now is the time to exhaust our efforts (both physically and mentally) to be the change we want in this world!
To those who’ve lost their lives in the recent Northern Illinois University slaying, you are in my thoughts, well-wishes and prayers.
Sincerely,
Muslim Student Associate
Houston, Texas
Copyright- 2008