Orlando, Florida: On 12 June, an American-born man named Omar Mir Seddique Mateen entered a gay nightclub called; ‘Pulse’ and shot down 50 people and wounded 53. This has been declared as the biggest terror attack on the US soil after the brutal 9/11 attacks.
Denoted to be “mentally unstable and mentally ill” by ex-wife, Omar was from St. Lucie, Florida, born in New York. Mateen, who had been working as a security officer at G4S Secure Solutions was said to be “outraged after seeing two men kissing in Miami” by his parents. FBI Assistant Special Agent Ronald Hopper said that they were aware of Mateen and had questioned him twice in 2013 and 2014 soon after he had expressed sympathy for a suicide bomber. But the interviews were “inconclusive” so the FBI had to drop the investigation on him.
A day post the gruesome incident, Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency. In the past two weeks, Mateen purchased a pistol and a long gun which indicates that it can be a well-planned attack. But there are no consolidated proofs on that. Hinting Omar’s association with the Islamic State, he had called 911 during the attack and pledged his allegiance to ISIS.
Donald Trump in his signature style published a press release on his official website calling the attack conducted by “a Radical Islamic terrorist”. He even blatantly criticized Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for their statements on the attack, he said, “President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words ‘Radical Islam’. For the reason alone, he should step down. “He further added, “If Hillary Clinton, after this attack, still cannot say the two words ‘Radical Islam’ she should get out of this race for the Presidency.” He even stated how Omar Mateen’s father was an immigrant from Afghanistan who had openly supported Afghanistani Taliban.
The presidency candidates clearly are in a conflict of ideologies, where on one hand Hillary Clinton calls this “an act of hate” and on the other hand, Donald Trump calls this “an attack by a Radical Islamic Terrorist”.
The NAC team strongly condemns this attack and prays for the families of the people who lost their lives. We believe in equality, whether it is in terms of gender, religion or preferences. We pray to the world to not make this a war of religion; instead fight this fight together against those who are using religion as a tool to kill innocents. Let’s not be “intolerant”.
