Mohammad Sohail

Recently in the news, there was a report of how a store owner in Long Island changed the life of a would-be robber. As he was closing his store, Mohammad Sohail, a Muslim from Pakistan, found himself face to face with a man holding a baseball bat, demanding money. Sohail immediately drew a rifle and pointed it at the robber's face. Though the rifle was not loaded, the robber was unaware of this fact, and immediately dropped his bat and broke down, sobbing. He explained his plight to Sohail, that his family was starving and he had no job. After Sohail made the man swear an oath to never rob anyone again, the man then decided he wished to convert to Islam, and was given a Muslim name by Sohail. After giving the man $40 and a loaf of bread, he departed before Sohail was able to give him a gallon of milk for his family.

I recently lent my car out to a brother in my fraternity so he could be a sober driver, and while he was doing so, he and four other fraternity brothers were robbed at gunpoint. After taking the wallets, cell phones, and other valuables of my brothers, the robbers fired a single shot at my front driver's side tire, hitting the rim and narrowly missing the tire itself before they quickly fled. Naturally, when I found out about the incident the next day I was furious that not only had my brothers been robbed and put in such danger, but the perpetrators also made an attempt to do serious damage to my property. However, after reading this story, I'm reminded that such people do such things out of desperation and fear. Upon closer reflection, I can't feel angry at them as much as I feel pity for them. Pity that they have become so desperate to survive that they would rob another at gunpoint, rather than struggle to make an honest living. Nobody should have to live in such destitution that the only recourse that they feel that they have is to engage in acts that they know are wrong, and that ultimately damage themselves more than it does others.

This story also serves as a lesson in how an everyday Muslim immigrant behaves in America. These are not the bloodthirsty zealots that so often characterize our perception of the Muslim world. These are people of a wide range of personalities that are just as diverse as the members of any other religion. There are those who are militant, certainly, but there are also those who are meek, pacifist, indifferent, or simply trying to provide for their families. This presents a reminder that people of the Muslim faith are just as capable of compassion as anyone else, regardless of their faith or lack thereof. I have great admiration for Sohail's compassion, and am glad that he has set such a good example of how we should treat fellow humans, even those who would wish to harm or exploit us.