The Feline Warrior

Unarmed Muslim Man in His Own House Slain by US Military

Friends call him “good guy,” outraged and demanding answers
His son was also killed by the U.S. military three months ago

An unarmed Muslim man was killed by the U.S. military on Thursday while in his own house in eastern Afghanistan, multiple sources have confirmed.

The slain Mullah Fazlullah was among the numerous men and women fallen victim to the U.S. military, which has been continuously targeting predominantly-Muslim Middle Eastern nations in its “War on Terror” since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Mohammad Radmanish, a spokesperson of the Afghan Defense Ministry, told Reuters in the early morning on Friday that the U.S. state-sanctioned killing took place within the jurisdiction of Afghanistan. He was killed in Marawera district of Kunar, a remote province bordering Pakistan, the spokesman confirmed.

At least two other Muslims in the same area may also have been bombed and killed by the U.S. military drones. They were all unarmed and in their own houses when they died, some witness accounts suggest.

A witness spoke about the killing on the condition of anonymity, fearing possible retaliation.

“I can’t believe what I saw, and I feel that I need to tell the tale — because people need to know what’s really going on here, what the Americans are really doing here. The world needs to know,” the witness said.

Another witness described the scene of death, which he called “absolutely horrific.”

“He was barely awake — it was a bit past nine o’clock in the morning when it all happened,” the witness said, discernibly emotional and still in shock. “Why did he have to be killed when he was holding no weapons, lying in his own bed, in his own house, and in a country that’s thousands of miles away from America?”

A group of people who only wish to be identified as “Mullah Fazlullah’s close friends” gathered earlier today to remember a man they call a “good guy.” According to the vigil attendees, the deceased 43-year-old was a devout Muslim who loved his family and had a strong sense of justice.

“We all love Mullah and we’ll always remember Mullah,” one of the grieving friends wept at the tragic news. “And I know we’re going to get justice for him — because we’ll carry on his legacy and keep fighting for justice, in his name and for his sake.”

Outrage has also spread in the U.S., where activists denounced the government’s actions and demanded answers. Some of them suspected the military operation to be racially and religiously motivated.

Dr. Rita R. D. McCommy, a professor from the School for the Studies of Justice and War and an expert on this issue, agrees.

“This murder of an unarmed Muslim person of color is anything but an isolated incident. It has once again shed light on the grievous systemic racism, injustice and oppression that the U.S. continues to perpetuate, both at home and abroad,” the scholar and active social justice advocate commented.

She cited racism and Islamophobia as two of the potential motives behind the death.

“Had he been white, had he been Christian, he’d still be alive today. But he was neither, and to America, that’s enough to warrant him being murdered. And because of this, we’ve seen so many Muslim families torn apart and devastated over and over again, including right here in America,” said Dr. McCommy, referring to the unpopular and unsuccessful “Muslim bans” last year that immediately sparked demonstrations at airports nationwide.

Airports across the U.S. saw a massive number of protesters in January 2017, when travelers from predominantly-Muslim Middle Eastern countries were denied entry, detained, or deported as ordered by President Donald Trump. They had been since released when the executive orders were blocked by federal judges.

A Seattle-based group of self-described anti-fascist activists have offered condolences and announced their plan to demonstrate and march in protest of the unarmed man’s killing.

Meanwhile, although the U.S. military did confirm that an air-strike near the Afghan-Pakistani border had been carried out, as of Friday afternoon, the White House has made no statements regarding Fazlullah’s death. Secretary of Defense James Mattis was not immediately available to respond to an interview request.

Fazlullah is survived by his son Muhammad Hakim. The other descendant he had, Abdul Basit, was killed by the U.S. military three months ago.