She Was Only 16 When A Senseless Act of Hatred Stole Her Life
16. Shira Banki was only 16 when she was murdered because she hoped for a better future. Because she believed in the principles of equality and stood up for her friends’ and everyone else’s right to live as they please with respect and security.
She was only 16. A young, brave soul who chose to not be silent and stand idly by while the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and queers are being discriminated and stripped off their inherent rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. These are inviolable rights of every human being regardless of their race, religion, beliefs, age, gender, and sexual orientation. She was only 16 but she understood this very basic principle.
Shira Banki embodies what many of us hope for the youth - full of life, love, and compassion. And dedicated to the principles of tolerance and equality. As she marched for a better future, a better society at Jerusalem’s Gay Pride Parade last Thursday, she was stabbed fatally. Shira was one of the 6 people stabbed that day and last Sunday, she succumbed to her wounds. The perpetrator – a man filled with and consumed by hate.
How can someone just take away a life? The life of a hopeful girl who is just starting to blossom? She had so much to offer, so many things to discover and experience. But because there are some people who believe that their barbaric doctrines and interpretation of scripture is license enough to kill, we lost yet another beautiful soul.
This senseless act of violence and hatred has to stop.
Shira Banki
I was asked why I was so affected by Shira’s death. Yes, I didn’t know Shira personally. The first time I heard of her was in the news – when she was stabbed. I am not a Jew. I don’t have any religion. But her murder hit me deep. I am going to be honest. This tragedy shook me to my core. As a fellow human being, how can I not be deeply affected? And as a member of the LGBTQ community whose rights Shira was rallying for, I felt immense pain from her senseless murder.
I am writing this in hopes that more people will learn about Shira Banki and what she stood for. Her life was snatched away from her while rallying for the rights of the LGBTQs who are continuously being marginalized and attacked. She was brave to show up and give her support to people who are being oppressed. Her last act was that of acceptance and inclusiveness.
I could not afford to fly to Jerusalem. If I did have the money, I would have. Just to show up and give Shira Banki’s loved ones and friends my support. And let her parents know that their daughter will be remembered not just in their country but even here in the Philippines.
My hope is that even with the sense of emptiness and loss that we are feeling right now because of this senseless act of hatred and violence that we somehow find the strength in us to silence hate.
And to the people who are continuously oppressing the LGBTQs, or any marginalized group for that matter – I ask you to open your hearts.
Before you speak ill or speak of hatred, remember that your hateful speech is empowering someone to commit violence against another person.
Before you justify your hatred with verses from your Bible, Tanakh, Scripture, or the Quran, think about the pain that you are inflicting to another person.
And think about Shira Banki, whose life was snatched away violently by a religious man who believed that the barbaric doctrines and interpretations of the scripture was reason enough to murder a 16-year old girl.
Instead of acting on the doctrines that preach hatred, why not act on the teachings of your religion that call for compassion. You have a choice. The easier choice is to hate. The more difficult one is to love another as you love yourself.
Shira Banki’s parents, who are in great pain with the murder of their daughter, are choosing love.
“Now we will go home and try to rebuild our family — to learn how to be five instead of six. We will try to hate less and love more; that’s what we can offer you.”
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