Moon
01-23-2018, 05:11 PM
In October 2016, Abraham Davis made a bad decision to drive two friends to a nearby mosque so they could vandalize the building with swastikas and hateful messages (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/26/us/fort-smith-arkansas-mosque-vandalism-and-forgiveness.html?_r=0). Security cameras at the Masjid Al Salam mosque in Fort Smith, Arkansas, caught them in the act and they were eventually arrested.
Faced with instant regret, Davis eventually turned himself in to face charges and sent a letter of apology to the Masjid Al Salam mosque. The letter and the response prompted a superb New York Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/26/us/fort-smith-arkansas-mosque-vandalism-and-forgiveness.html?_r=0) about the vandalism, the Fort Smith community and the Masjid Al Salam Mosque.
“Dear Masjid Al Salam Mosque,” Abraham wrote. “I know you guys probably don’t want to hear from me at all but I really want to get this to y’all. I’m so sorry about having a hand in vandalising your mosque. It was wrong and y’all did not deserve to have that done to you. I hurt y’all and I am haunted by it. And even after all this you still forgave me. You are much better people than I.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me, and that is honestly really scary. But I just wouldn’t want to keep going on without trying to make amends. I wish I could undo the pain I helped to cause. I used to walk by your mosque a lot and ask myself why I would do that. I don’t even hate Muslims. Or anyone for that matter.
“All in all,” he concluded, “I just want to say I’m sorry.”
Mosque President of Al Salam Louay Nassri and members of the mosque were so moved, they lobbied for the charges against Abraham Davis to be dropped. Davis was convicted of a felony and faced "around $3,200 in fines and restitution." (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/reader-center/mosque-vandal-arkansas.html?_r=0) After struggling to pay off the debt, Davis got a heart-pumping surprise—members of the mosque paid off his fines. From the New York Times: (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/reader-center/mosque-vandal-arkansas.html?_r=0)
Faced with instant regret, Davis eventually turned himself in to face charges and sent a letter of apology to the Masjid Al Salam mosque. The letter and the response prompted a superb New York Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/26/us/fort-smith-arkansas-mosque-vandalism-and-forgiveness.html?_r=0) about the vandalism, the Fort Smith community and the Masjid Al Salam Mosque.
“Dear Masjid Al Salam Mosque,” Abraham wrote. “I know you guys probably don’t want to hear from me at all but I really want to get this to y’all. I’m so sorry about having a hand in vandalising your mosque. It was wrong and y’all did not deserve to have that done to you. I hurt y’all and I am haunted by it. And even after all this you still forgave me. You are much better people than I.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me, and that is honestly really scary. But I just wouldn’t want to keep going on without trying to make amends. I wish I could undo the pain I helped to cause. I used to walk by your mosque a lot and ask myself why I would do that. I don’t even hate Muslims. Or anyone for that matter.
“All in all,” he concluded, “I just want to say I’m sorry.”
Mosque President of Al Salam Louay Nassri and members of the mosque were so moved, they lobbied for the charges against Abraham Davis to be dropped. Davis was convicted of a felony and faced "around $3,200 in fines and restitution." (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/reader-center/mosque-vandal-arkansas.html?_r=0) After struggling to pay off the debt, Davis got a heart-pumping surprise—members of the mosque paid off his fines. From the New York Times: (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/reader-center/mosque-vandal-arkansas.html?_r=0)