According to The Daily Beast, less than 2 percent of terrorist attacks committed across Europe from 2010 to 2015 were committed by Muslims. And we'd do well to remember as much.ĭata from the FBI confirms that between 19, 94 percent of terrorist attacks carried out in the country have been by non-Muslims. I don't believe the only thing at play when one American decided to take 50 lives and nearly 50 more was his religion. I do not, however, believe that one person's actions on the morning of June 12 justify the shaming and perpetuation of falsities against Muslims. I don't deny that ISIS is scary that terrorism is scary that radical beliefs (whether rooted in religion or otherwise) that specifically target, marginalize, and seek to physically injure if not murder groups of people are scary. The gunman may or may not have known that this was also a Latin night, but he undoubtedly knew this was a place for ~fags.~ As his father has since theorized, it's possible that the gunman was so enraged at the sight of two men kissing one another that he broke fire. The LGBTQ community was specifically and violently targeted on June 12. But the more news has surfaced - and the more speculation as to whether or not ISIS was responsible and at the heart of the shooter's motives - the less emphasis is seemingly being placed on a simple truth.
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I logged into Facebook as soon as I heard, checking up on everyone I knew who could have possibly been in attendance at the venue's Latin night. For decades, it's been what a cousin of mine refers to as "Gay Cuba" - a state that has attracted native Spanish speakers and queers alike the myriad of pastel hues and eternal cocktails and geographic proximity to Latin America all making it seem like home for so many of us. Never mind that this is a state that voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries. In the years since I finished my undergraduate studies, several friends and family members have made their way to both Orlando and Miami, supposed havens for the LGBTQIA+ community and for Latinos. I've never been to PULSE, the gay nightclub where the tragic, nearly unspeakable events unfolded but I know many who have. While people have been quick to blame the shooter's religious beliefs for the tragedy, it's important to keep the real motive behind this mass murder in mind: This was an attack of hate against LGBTQIA+ individuals on a Latin-themed dance night. "The deadliest mass shooting in American history," it's been dubbed. Orlando police said the event is unrelated to the murder of Christina Grimmie, the popular Voice singer who was killed while signing autographs after her Orlando show.On June 12, I, much like the rest of the world, awoke to the news of a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida that left 50 dead and another 50+ injured earlier that morning. “As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act.” “Woke up to hear the devastating news from FL,” Clinton wrote. before adding, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don’t want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. When will this stop? When will we get tough, smart & vigilant?,” Trump tweeted. Praying for all the victims & their families. “This is an incident, as I see it, that we certainly classify as domestic terror incident,” said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, according to the Washington Post.ĭonald Trump and Hillary Clinton both reacted to news of the shooting. Agents said that the suspect “may have leanings toward extreme ideologies.” Police said that the suspect was not from the Orlando area and was “organized and well-prepared,” the Times reports. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting local authorities handling the incident, the Orlando Sentinel reports. “We weren’t aware of any action he is taking. “We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident,” he said. Mateen’s father apologized on behalf of his family. NBC News reports that Mateen called 911 before entering the club and “pledged allegiance to ISIS,” though authorities have not found any direct link between Mateen and the terrorist group. In front of my son they are doing that.’ And then we were in the men’s bathroom and men were kissing each other.” “They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, ‘Look at that. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry,” Mir Seddique, told NBC News.
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Mateen’s motive remains unclear, but his father says it may have been triggered by anti-gay sentiments. “We were in Downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music.