On May 20, thousands gathered in Houston to offer prayers at the funeral service for 17-year-old Pakistani exchange student, Sabika Sheikh. The girl was one of the Santa Fe High School shooting victims, reported Reuters.
Sabika loved reading and vouched for 'mutual understanding and respect'
On May 18, Sabika was one of 10 people killed in the Santa Fe High School mass shooting in Texas. She had received a scholarship, ten months ago, to visit the United States. It was on a program funded by the State Department, an initiative called the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program.
One of the aims of YES is to create youth ambassadors to promote "mutual understanding and respect" between the United States and countries with significant Muslim population. Her happiness knew no bounds when she was shortlisted for the program.
Sadly, Sabika fell prey when suspect 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis opened fire on the staff and students at Santa Fe. Pagourtzis, who belongs to the same school, is being held on charges of capital murder and aggravated assault of a public servant.
“Sabika’s case should become an example to change the gun laws” - Aziz Sheikh, Sabika's father
Sabika's father, Aziz Sheikh, said that his daughter loved to read and enjoyed studying US history. She wanted to grow up to become a diplomat. Aziz Sheikh had tuned in to a news channel soon after breaking the day's fast. That's when he found out that it was his daughter's school was the scene of a shooting. He called his daughter's friends and her host family. Approximately three hours later, the host family called him back to inform that his daughter was no more.
Sheikh, while speaking with Reuters, said that it's high time gun laws are changed and this shooting should become a base on which the authorities can pass a law to deal with this.
Mortal remains flown to Pakistan
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited the family to offer condolences. After a service in Texas, the teenager's body will arrive in Pakistan on May 22. She will be buried soon after. Sabika hadn't been home in ten months. She was due to fly back for the festival of Eid. The young girl was fasting on the day she was killed.
About 21 mass shootings have taken place in the United States, since January this year. These shootings have claimed the lives of so many people like Sabika who didn't deserve to die like this.
Picture Credit: pakiholic.com
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Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.TV
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