Muslims on social media have been outraged as some people withdrew donations for Aya Hachem who was shot dead, after discovering her family were Shia Muslims.
Muslims on social media have been outraged as some people withdrew donations for Aya Hachem who was shot dead, after discovering her family were Shia Muslims.
On the 18th May 2020, 19-year-old Aya Hachem was tragically shot dead on her way to get groceries from her local Lidl supermarket in Blackburn. The Muslim community has been mourning the death of Aya, a law student, who has been described as “truly remarkable”.
Three suspects have been arrested in the murder and currently, it is believed that she was not the intended target of the attack, nor was there any racial or Islamophobic agenda behind the murder.
Across social media, there has been an outpouring of shock and sympathy for the family, from the Muslim community, since her death and several fundraisers had been set up in her memory.
It is alleged that upon realising her family are from a Shia Muslim background, one individual who had set up a fundraiser in Aya’s name had a change of heart. Many have taken issue with his series of now-deleted tweets, which can be seen below:
Even in times of tragedy Shiaphobia shows its ugliness. This brother started a fundraiser for the young woman killed in London couple days ago. Finds out she’s Shia and posts this. Come on man! pic.twitter.com/CZ6dIzSp6S
— Abed A. Ayoub (@aayoub) May 19, 2020
The Twitter user has since deleted these tweets.
Another fundraising page for Aya started by Hannan Qazi on Justgiving has been frozen by the platform after raising over £30,000 for the building of a mosque in Niger. An exchange between Hannan and another Twitter user alleges that he “liked” a Tweet which suggested that they should avoid giving funds directly to the family “in case it’s a Rafidi/Shia place of worship”:
You liked a tweet that said to not give the funds directly to the family because of their religious beliefs
— جُ (@bintalkout) May 19, 2020
— جُ (@bintalkout) May 19, 2020
What does this prove ?!? A masjid is a masjid my sister, accept this for the sister and stop insinuating things. Jazak’Allah Khayrun.
— Hannan (@Hannanqazi_) May 19, 2020
Hannan clarified his stance in subsequent tweets:
Im just going to clarify this. Sister Aya was a Muslim! Anything else is between her and Allāh swt. May he forgive her sins, widen her grave and grant her Jannatul firdaus in this beautiful night, ameen.
— Hannan (@Hannanqazi_) May 19, 2020
Worry not the family will be getting every penny Insha’Allah👍🏽
— Hannan (@Hannanqazi_) May 19, 2020
Aya came to the UK with her family as refugees from Lebanon when she was a girl, but the interactions today over Twitter have shocked many. Muslims, both Shia and Sunni have spoken out against the sectarian mindset that is sadly still rife in some small parts of the community.
The Sunni/Shia beef that’s been on the TL today is actually disgusting. A Muslim sister has died and people are cancelling fund raisers after finding out she’s shia? Are you guys worshipping allah swt or your culture/believes?? May Allah swt guide you all
— RAEL💭 (@raelt_) May 19, 2020
Disgusting.
Aya, a 19 year old Lebanese-British girl was savagely killed in Blackburn, UK.
The UK muslim community raised money for her family and sympathized with her until Islamists who cry Islamophobia found out she was a Shia!
The UK is known as the Jihadi hub for a reason pic.twitter.com/IscF4RrjqP
— هادي نصرالله (@HadiNasrallah) May 19, 2020
I don't want to reduce #AyaHachem's memory to a sectarian Twitter debacle. She is worth more than that – a beautiful soul stolen from us too early. However, the reaction of some Muslims to her being Shia is proof of a horrid, deep rooted Shiaphobia problem in many young Muslims.
— Nouri Sardar (@NouriSardar) May 20, 2020
Just 24 hours ago Aya was an innocent muslim girl to you all, and now that you've found out she could be shia you want the money from the fundraising back? some of you muslims are just SCUM.
— مهسا. (@mahsak_) May 19, 2020
As a Sunni Muslim I am disgusted at the anti Shia sentiment expressed in the wake of Sister Aya's death.
Let this be a wake up call. Never underestimate the dangerous undercurrents of sectarianism.
We must build bridges of understanding to counter this nonsense.
— Dr Bilal Hassam (@bilalhassam) May 20, 2020
Let's be absolutely clear folks.
Our sister, Aya Hachem, was tragically killed in a horrific attack.
If you think Sunni Islam stops you from expressing solidarity/support to our Shia sisters and brothers, you haven't understood the Sunnah and haven't understood Islam.
— Dr Bilal Hassam (@bilalhassam) May 20, 2020
Aya Hachem was a 19 year old Muslim woman who was shot and killed.
If you’re hesitant to donate to her grieving family because she’s “Shia” please locate the nearest wall and run your head into it.
A true Muslim doesn’t have that kind of hatred in their heart.
— Shaykh Azhar Nasser (@ShaykhAzhar) May 19, 2020
Three have been arrested in suspicion of Aya’s murder. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time. We pray that Allah guides our community and that we can stand united against sectarianism.
