Religious Celebrations
There are multiple religious celebrations that occur year-wide, such as Ramadan. Each have a very important significance to millions of people around the globe. Whether it be Christians, Jewish, Muslims, they each celebrate a very important holiday. However, as the years continue, there are many people that continue to express fear as these holidays approach.
They do not express fear for the holiday itself, instead of what could happen when these holidays come around. The rise of attacks against those that celebrate religious holidays seems to increase every year, and that worries millions of people.
What Exactly is Eid al-Fitr?
Eid al-Fitr was the celebration that was occurring in the Philadelphia area before gunfire erupted. This celebration marks the end of Ramadan. It is a month of fasting, community, and celebration. It truly is saddening to see the way this occurred, and there is an obvious need for more protective measures to ensure attacks of this nature do not occur whatsoever.
Xenophobia on the Rise
Xenophobia is the hatred expressed by others towards people that are religious. However, there are some people who take it to another level, and plan to kill those that celebrate these holidays. In a way, this can be considered acts of terrorism. However, the FBI ensures to look for any warning signs of people that are planning to commit such crime when holidays come around.
In fact, as of recently, a man was found to have been planning a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS against people celebrating Ramadan. He was caught, arrested, and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. This was a crime that was thankfully prevented, before multiple lives were lost because of a senseless attack.
Multiple People Shot at Ramadan Celebration in Philadelphia
There was a celebration of Ramadan in Philadelphia, as it is coming to a close. However, things took a completely negative turn, when multiple shooters entered the vicinity and began to open fire. “The shooting happened in an area where residents were celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,” according to whyy.org.
Therefore, multiple people were shot as a result of this attack. A witness that did not want to be identified, explained how it was the moment gunfire had erupted. They explained how they saw everyone running frantically in every direction and were absolutely terrified.
Furthermore, there were children that had attended this Ramadan event, and they should not have had to witness something like this.
Who are the Victims?
As aforementioned, there were multiple people that were reported shot at the celebration. However, it is still unknown the amount of people that were shot as a result. It was mentioned that there was a child that was transported to a nearby hospital. However, it is unknown the condition that he is in. There are still many investigations being conducted into this attack, and whether or not it could have been prevented from occurring. However, judging by the information that police currently have, it seems this attack was completely spontaneous.
Additionally, it is noted that there was an officer that was on the scene when gunfire erupted. They reported firing towards the suspects but did not hit the suspects. It was noted that police had taken several people into custody after the attack.
The Future of This Incident
What was supposed to be a peaceful celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, turned catastrophic in a matter of minutes. This was never supposed to happen, and it is truly devastating that this would occur. It truly is saddening that there are more people that are terrified of large gatherings, as it seems that attacks happen all too frequently in these vicinities.
Therefore, this needs to be a wake-up call for the government, to ensure that more security measures are put in place for large gatherings. This is in order to avoid any sort of attack or lessen the load of the attack if it occurs. This can include adding more security officers, adding metal detectors, or any form of security improvement. This can truly change the lives of millions of people if it were to be implemented.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
CBS News: Multiple people shot at Ramadan event in West Philadelphia, several people in custody, police say
WHYY News: At least 2 shot amid celebration to mark end of Ramadan in Philly’s Parkside neighborhood
ABC 6 News: At least 2 shot amid celebration to mark end of Ramadan in the Parkside section of Philadelphia
Featured Image Courtesy of Saima Says’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of American Advisors Group’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
