By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
An American Muslim advocacy group on Friday urged President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to publicly address the murders of three Muslim students in North Carolina.
“It is time for our nation's leaders to step up and reassure the American Muslim community that their concerns are being heard and are taken seriously,” the Muslim Public Affairs Council said in a statement.
Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were fatally shot Tuesday in Chapel Hill.
The accused, Craig Stephen Hicks, surrendered to police after the attack and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Authorities said an initial investigation pointed to "an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking" as the motive behind the killings, but the victims' religion triggered broad speculation that the murders were a hate crime.
The FBI said Thursday it would pursue a separate inquiry into the motive.
The murders have "galvanized national and international sentiment and has once again brought the issue of anti-Muslim sentiment to the forefront of America's conscience," the rights group said.
The incident and its handling by the authorities have also drawn international outrage, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizing the U.S. leadership for not having made any statement about the murders.
"We, politicians, are responsible for everything that happens in our countries and have to show our stance," Erdogan said Thursday during an official visit to Mexico.
"If you remain silent when you face an incident like this, and do not make a statement, the world will always stay silent toward you," he said in translated remarks.
