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<h1 id="reader-title">Yemeni faces death threats after filming
Baton Rouge killings</h1>
<div id="reader-credits" class="credits">Jihan Hafiz - July 20,
2016<br>
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<p><strong>BATON ROUGE, United States -</strong> On Monday
night, a large crowd of mostly women and children
gathered outside the Triple S shop in Baton Rouge to
talk about police brutality. Since 37-year-old Alton
Sterling’s death by police shooting went viral on 5
July, the Triple S has become the rallying site for
Black Lives Matter activities in Baton Rouge.</p>
<p>As the crowd discussed the videos, one resident
motioned to a slender Middle Eastern man and shouted,
“If it wasn’t for him, we may have never seen another
angle of this murder. It shows Alton had no gun [out] as
the police claim. It takes a brave man to come forward
and bring this truth to us. And this man is not even
black, he’s an Arab.”</p>
<p>The crowd applauded loudly and a number of mothers
pushed 35-year-old Abdallah Muflahi forward.</p>
<p>“Thank you brother, may God bless you for your
courage,” one woman says. Another shouts out “Assalamu
aleikum” - an Islamic greeting meaning "Peace be upon
you."</p>
<p>A quiet man, Muflahi humbly thanked the crowd and
stepped back. He did not intend for his act to make him
the unsung hero of the Baton Rouge uprising.</p>
<p>“Who is going to speak for the dead? Alton is gone. He
can’t speak for himself. I had to do something,” Muflahi
told Middle East Eye. “You know how it is [in Islam].
You do right and you are not supposed to wrong anyone,
and if you notice someone being wronged, you cannot turn
your eye and walk away. You have to stand up for them
and seek justice.”</p>
<p>Muflahi described the night of Sterling’s death as a
nightmare he never imagined he would witness.</p>
<p>Muflahi said he felt something was terribly wrong when
the two police officers approached Sterling. He watched
the altercation from his store and then took out his
cell phone when the police became physical. “The first
thing I thought was I have to film this,” he said.
Immediately after Sterling was shot, the police turned
their attention to Muflahi.</p>
<p>The police officers demanded the surveillance video
captured on his store cameras. <span>Muflahi</span> requested
to be present in his store if they wanted to take the
video. The police officers told <span>Muflahi</span> they
would get a warrant. Instead they detained him and stuck
him in the back of a hot, stuffy police cruiser while
they seized the store’s surveillance video, which has
still not been publicly released.</p>
<p>After the police released <span>Muflahi</span>, he gave
his cell phone video to a news agency. The video
immediately went viral and <span>Muflahi</span> filed a
lawsuit against the Baton Rouge police department.</p>
<p>“I don’t like the fact that the police can violate
people’s rights because they are minorities,” said <span>Muflahi,</span> who
has faced multiple death threats since releasing the
video and filing the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Born in Yemen, <span>Muflahi</span> and his family
immigrated to the US when he was six years old. They
settled in Detroit and <span>Muflahi</span> lived there
until a few years ago, when a friend called him and told
him about a job opportunity in Baton Rouge.</p>
<p>“It was a nice transition. I never had any issues with
the community and one of the first people to welcome me
was Alton Sterling.” <span>Muflahi</span> remembers
Sterling as a man with a big heart who loved to joke
around and make others around him feel good. “He was a
good guy. I miss him.”</p>
<p>Baton Rouge is home to a sizable Arab and Muslim
community. Historically in the US, it is not commonplace
for black and Arab communities to mingle in the same
social circles - but in Baton Rouge, the communities are
intertwined.</p>
<p>For <span>Muflahi</span> and other members of the Arab
and Muslim community, racial profiling and
discrimination are nothing new.</p>
<p>“Of course I have faced discrimination because I’m
Muslim, I’m Arab and have a beard on me. I’m always
profiled, called a terrorist, raghead. I’ve been called
awful, hurtful things. I’ve been followed and harassed.”</p>
<p><span>Muflahi</span> consulted members of the Muslim
and Arab community before filing the lawsuit. Many of
them advised against the decision, fearing police
reprisals. </p>
<h3>Fearing police reprisals</h3>
<p>After <span>Muflahi</span> went public with the
lawsuit, only a few members of the Arab community have
stopped in to show their support.</p>
<p>“It’s understandable people are afraid to show up,” he
said. “They don’t want to put their names out there like
that. There are lots of racist people out there that
hate Arabs and Muslims as much as they hate blacks.
People don’t want to put themselves in danger.”</p>
<p>“I have people mainly calling the store, threatening my
life, saying Muslims are trying to rip America apart
from the inside out,” said <span>Muflahi</span>. “It’s
just disturbing to even talk about. Being called a
terrorist, a sand n*****, a n***** lover, I will pay for
thinking I’m black, for supporting the black community.
But what am I gonna do? I have to look past it. I fear
only God.”</p>
<p>The black community has stood firmly behind <span>Muflahi</span>,
including Sterling’s relatives, who consider <span>Muflahi</span> a
member of their family now. Members of the black
community have been engaging in discussions about Islam.
While those attending activities outside the Triple S
learn words like <em>shukran </em>(thank you) and <em>assalamu
aleikum</em>.</p>
<p>Islam is the second most common religion among black
Americans. Many African Americans attending Black Lives
Matter rallies either have a black Muslim friend or
family member.</p>
<p>“People know about Islam here in the black community,”
said <span>Muflahi</span>. “After what happened, people
see Islam and Muslims differently, in a more positive
light. And I hope what I did makes them realise who we
are as Muslims. I hope that message reaches a lot of
people.”</p>
<p>Sterling’s family asked <span>Muflahi</span> to be a
guest of honour and speaker at the funeral service. When
Muflahi was introduced, he was greeted by a standing
ovation, with some shouting, “Allahu akbar” - God is the
greatest.</p>
<p>At <span>Muflahi</span> first words, “Assalamu
aleikum,” the crowd of hundreds answered back “Waleikum
assalam” - the formal response meaning, "And on you,
peace."</p>
<p>“This has brought the communities closer because we
both face discrimination,” <span>Muflahi</span> said.</p>
<p>“Black Lives Matter is a good thing. Black, Arabs,
Muslims … basically if you are not white you are being
profiled and that must change. We need to change this
cycle. The killings and the violence must stop. And it’s
a beautiful thing the communities have come together to
see this through.”</p>
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