Drs. Suzanne Barakat and Yousef Abu-Salha returned to the town where their siblings were murdered a decade ago to talk about resilience after a tragic hate crime that changed the country and changed them.
On Feb. 10, 2015, Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, were murdered by their neighbor Craig Hicks after being targeted for their Arab American and Muslim identities.
"There's a lot of dark," said Barakat. "And only when you experience this darkness, can you see some light. The fact that we are remembering them here today, 10 years later, to me feels like an important lightness."
Barakat and Abu-Salha spoke in a Q&A to an audience of hundreds at the Great Hall auditorium at University of North Carolina auditorium Tuesday night after the screening of the documentary "36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime."
The documentary, filmed over eight years, details the struggle of the Barakat and Abu-Salha families after the murders, and the legal struggle to designate their murders as a hate crime. It was screened in Chapel Hill for the first time since its 2023 release.
The documentary was also screened at North Carolina State University in Raleigh this week as part of . The Light House Project's annual Interfaith Food Drive will take place until Feb. 23, in memory of Deah's, Yusor's and Razan's dreams of serving others in need.
"The foundations and the organizations that were born out of this, the Three Winners Foundation and the Light House Project, is lightness," said Barakat. "Turning that tragedy into a force for good for all, with the vision that what happened to Deah, Yuser and Razan, would never happen again, is lightness."
Barakat and Abu-Salha were joined in the auditorium by Our Three Winners Foundation board member Arif Khan, and the documentary's director Tarek Albaba, a Charlotte native and Arab American filmmaker.
One major accomplishment since the tragedy: the launch in December of the first by the outgoing Biden administration. The text mentions the names of Deah, Yusor and Razan.
"One of the most encouraging things for me is all of the wonderful sustainable efforts and charities and events that have been set up really as a result of fruits, seeds that they planted that have blossomed and gave fruition over time," Abu-Salha told 瓜神app.
Abu-Salha says he's gotten to a point in his grief where he can reflect on the beautiful moments he spent with his sisters Yusor and Razan. Part of his healing, he says, is visiting their graves and talking to them.
"I feel very blessed because many people experience loss and trauma and don't have this support," said Abu-Salha. "We're really, really grateful and blessed to be able to call the Triangle our home."
In an interview, Barakat said she almost said no to flying back to North Carolina from the Bay Area in California to visit her alma mater and screen the documentary.
"What I really wanted to do was call off work and all responsibilities and climb under the covers, and put my phone on do not disturb for a week," said Barakat. "I can decide to do that, but I can't afford to."
Barakat was encouraged by seeing the impact of the documentary that night, with newer generations of Muslim students approaching her to share their experiences and express their inspiration at Barakat's and Abu-Salha's messages of hope.
But hate crimes are still an issue in the U.S., she said, and was told by some students that night that they were victims of harassment for their faiths.
"This climate is real. Unfortunately, it is worsening. Students are afraid," Barakat said.
Editor's Note: Dr. Suzanne Barakat's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.
