Four men’s deaths get national attention

The Muslim community in Albuquerque, NM, is reeling, following the recent killings of two Muslim men.

It’s a city in which few anti-Muslim crimes have been recorded over the last five years, according to FBI data, cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino, in a news release.

From 2017 to 2020, there was one anti-Muslim hate crime, a year. The highest number was in 2016, when police in Albuquerque recorded six out of a total of 25 hate crimes.

However, Albuquerque authorities can’t say if the slayings were hate crimes until they have a suspect and motive. But we may soon learn why the men were killed.

A 51-year-old man was charged, Tuesday, with killing the two men. He’s also suspected of killing two others. The four deaths have sparked fear in Muslim communities nationwide.

For days, Albuquerque police searched for a vehicle believed to be involved in the slayings. They finally found it and the driver, now their primary suspect, was detained.

Naeem Hussain was killed, Friday night, and three others were killed in ambush shootings.

The killings have drawn national attention and the attention of President Joe Biden, who said such attacks “have no place in America.”

He’s right; there is no place in America for such attacks — regardless of motive. But that statement isn’t limited to Muslims. It’s all-encompassing and applies to anyone, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or age.

The reality of living in the United States, however, is that these types of situations do occur and they are sometimes racially motivated. It’s the world we now live in, like it or not.

Human monsters have always existed, so it’s not a new concept. It just seems that the world is a scarier place these days because those monsters seem to be more willing to act on their urges.