Somali-American Community Concerned After Ohio State Attack

 

Last month, a student at Ohio State University ran into people with a car and stabbed them with a knife. The victims survived, but police shot and killed the attacker, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, at the place the incident happened.

Since then, members of the Muslim community have been trying to understand what made Artan carry out such violence. Artan was a Somali refugee who came to the U.S. with his family in 2014.

He had been a successful student. He earned honors at a local community college before going to Ohio State, one of America's largest universities.

Officials at the mosque¹ near the family's home say Artan was not well-known to them. They add that they are concerned that others may judge the entire community by the actions of one young man.

Concerns increase in the local Muslim community

Robert Fitrakis is a lawyer representing Artan's family. He describes how the family fears the political climate in the United States. "I'm not sure they want their face on camera," he says.

Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed is a member of the Muslim community at Abubakar Assiddiq mosque in Columbus.

"I've been in this country 25 years, so we are Americans, but we are Muslim, too. We should not be viewed as people who came from another planet. We are not aliens. We are citizens of this country."

The issue of refugees and migration² has become an important political issue in the United States.

Supporters of strict immigration policy say the attack shows the danger that immigrants, or refugees, could present.

Earlier this month, for example, President-elect Trump³ said the attack at Ohio State University was "yet one more tragic⁴ reminder⁵ that immigration security is now national security."

However, refugee resettlement supporters point to the need to help people from conflict areas around the world.

Becca Heller is the director of the International Refugee Assistance Project. She criticized the words used by Trump in an interview with NPR news.

"That rhetoric⁶ has had an impact. Trump has been successful in politicizing refugee admissions in a way that they have not been politicized before."

The number of refugees admitted to the United States has increased since 2002. However, the number of refugees admitted to the U.S reached "historically low levels" in the year following the September 11 attacks in 2001.

A report by Congressional Research Services, or CRS, says that 27,131 refugees were allowed into the country in that year.

The number of refugees admitted in 2017 could reach 110,000, the CRS report says.

Any possible changes to immigration and refugee policy remain unclear as the Trump administration begins on January 20.

I'm John Russell.

Words in This Story

honors – n. plural⁷ special credit or recognition given to students who have successfully done work at a high level

strict – adj. used to describe a command, rule, etc., that must be obeyed

rhetoric – n. formal often disapproving⁸ : language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable

politicize – v. disapproving : to relate (an idea, issue, etc.) to politics in a way that makes people less likely to agree

1 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

7 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

8 disapproving   

adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》