”My name is Isra Mohammed. I am Muslim, and I am not a terrorist.”
After finding out that her younger brother and sister were being bullied in school for their faith, 15-year-old Isra Mohammed, a Muslim student at Kenton School in Newcastle, England, delivered a speech to more than 2,000 classmates and faculty that turned out to be one of the briefest, clearest arguments against anti-Muslim rhetoric thus far. “My name is Isra Mohammed. I am Muslim, and I am not a terrorist,” she says in the speech, which is now being shared by thousands across the globe.
Mohammed explains away ignorance with clarity, quickly explaining the devotional aspects of Islam. “As a muslim I use the word ‘assalamu alaikum’ every day of my life. It’s a wish for the other person to be blessed with peace.”
The highlight of the talk is her explanation of how hate speech and islamophobia fuel terrorists like ISIS. “If you are someone with a Facebook account, an Instagram account, a Twitter account ... and you are throwing out masses of hate: You are helping ISIS. You are supporting ISIS. This is what they want. So think about it.” It’s an elegant, simple point, and an example of how truth needs little embellishment.
Here’s a video of her speech:
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