Christian Arab Man Murdered in U.S. by Man Who Mistook Him for a Muslim
- Updated Aug 22, 2016
A funeral was recently held for Khalid Jabara, a 37-year-old Lebanese-American of Orthodox Christian faith who was killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma earlier this year.
ChristianToday.com reports that Jabara was allegedly murdered by a man who thought he was a Muslim.
The suspect in Jabara’s murder, Stanley Vernon Majors, is also facing charges for attempting to run Jabara’s mother over with a car. Majors also allegedly taunted Jabara and his family, calling them “Aye-rab” and “Mooslem,” in addition to other racial and religious slurs.
The church to which Jabara belonged, St. Antony Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, is determined not to allow violence to cloud their remembrance of Jabara’s life.
Rev. George Eber of St. Antony’s said that the funeral not only honored Jabara’s life, but addressed difficult questions.
"The funeral is important," Rev. Eber said, "to address, 'Where was God?' and 'Where does evil come from?'"
Church members also deliberately avoided any political statements at the funeral and hired police to keep away protesters.
Rev. Eber said he hopes Jabara’s death will help to raise awareness of the challenges faced by many Arab Christians, in the Middle East, the U.S., and elsewhere.
Publication date: August 22, 2016
