A student group at Ohio State University on Wednesday added the name of Abdul Razak Ali Artan to its list of colored people killed by police in recent months. Except, adding Artan's name to the list has many people scratching their head, since he is the Islamic terrorist who attacked 11 people on the campus late last month — which the Islamic State claimed responsibility for.
According to OSU's student-run newspaper The Lantern, OSU's Coalition for Black Liberation has been gathering each week to read the names of colored people killed by police and gathered last Wednesday to add Artan's name.
More from the Lantern:
The event began with the reading of a eulogy for all those who are on the list, a reading of the individuals’ names, ages and the location of their death, followed by a moment of silence.
"We broadened the scope of what today was supposed to be, to talk about the aftermath of what happened on the 28th — to talk about what it meant for that attack to happen and also for Ohio State to be a focal point for a lot of right-wing pundits, Islamophobia and xenophobia," said OSU senior Maryam Abidi, who studies women's gender and sexuality at the university, during the eulogy, according to the Lantern.
"In some cases, the deceased may have committed acts of violence against others before they were killed. Perhaps they were domestic abusers, perhaps they threatened or killed others. This possibility is not something to shy away from," she added. "The protest against police brutality extends to the innocent and the guilty alike, because we know that no matter the crime, justice and due process don’t come from a cop’s bullet."
While they were memorializing Artan, the group was quick to say they weren't condoning his actions, which got him killed.
"You can understand where an act of violence comes from without condoning that act of violence," Pranav Jani, an associate professor of English, said, according to the Lantern.
In addition, the group was outspoken against President-elect Donald Trump' visit to the campus last Thursday, where he met with the victims of the attack and honored first responders.
"We’d rather him not come, and have some peace on this campus, but we’re standing up because we’re not going to let him just trample in and use this moment of tragedy as PR," Jani told the Lantern.
Still, the attack has emboldened proponents of the Second Amendment. In fact, both houses of the Ohio legislature have passed a bill that would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry on college campuses in the Buckeye State.
For the bill to become law, all it needs now is Ohio Gov. John Kasich's signature.
(H/T: Law Newz)
