Three people were murdered at a mosque in San Diego today in what is being investigating as a hate crime. And already, the same politicians and far right figures who spent years flooding this country with anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric are pretending this violence came out of nowhere, blaming attendees at the masjid, and even calling for more violence.
Numerous sources say anti-Islamic writings were found in the shooters’ car. Hate speech was reportedly written directly onto one of the guns used in the attack. One of the shooters allegedly left behind a note for his father ranting about “racial pride.” Outside the car where the two shooters were found, there was a gas can marked with SS symbols.
This is what happens when Islamophobia is normalized at every level of politics & media. When Muslim communities are constantly framed as threats. When genocide is justified abroad and hate is cultivated at home.
People love to act shocked after people are killed, but the rhetoric came first. The dehumanization came first. The racist fearmongering came first.
Muslim communities should be able to exist, pray, and gather without being hunted by fascists radicalized by the exact narratives people in power keep pushing.
