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Deah Barakat, 23, a University of North Carolina dental
student, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister, Razan
Abu-Salha, 19, a student at North Carolina State University,
were gunned down on Tuesday in Chapel Hill.
All three were involved in humanitarian aid programs.
Police charged the couple's neighbor with murder. They say
initial findings indicate a dispute over parking prompted the
shooting, but they are looking into whether Hicks was motivated
by hatred toward the victims because they were Muslim.
"At a time of troubling tensions stoked by those who seek to
twist the teachings of faith and sow division, these three young
people represented the best values of global citizenship and
active community compassion to build a better world for all,"
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Friday.
Thousands of mourners attended funeral prayers for them on
Thursday.
The case has garnered international attention, prompting vigils
and the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter on social media, and raising
concerns among some Muslim advocates in the United States who
say they have seen an increase in threats against their
communities in recent weeks.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday criticized U.S.
President Barack Obama for his silence following the killings of
three young Muslims in North Carolina.
Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha traveled to Turkey to help perform
fillings and root canals for refugees, while Razan Abu-Salha
helped develop a video that was intended to spread positive
messages about being Muslim-American.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Andrew Hay)
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