The Hero of the San Diego Mosque Shooting: Remembering Amin Abdullah
Kashif-ul-Huda
Amin Abdullah, a security guard at the largest mosque in San Diego County, was killed on May 18 while trying to stop two teenage gunmen. A former acquaintance remembers him as a true American-Muslim who always wanted to protect others.
On May 18, when two teenage gunmen tried to storm the Islamic Center of San Diego, there was a man standing between them and chaos.
Amin Abdullah, one of three victims killed by the attackers' bullets, was the security guard at the largest mosque in San Diego County. The city's police chief later called him a hero, saying his effort to stop the shooters likely saved many lives, including children.
“To be fair, his actions were heroic,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a press conference. “He definitely saved many lives today.”
I was not surprised. Because I knew Amin – as a former colleague, a man who wanted to protect others, and the person who made me smile on one of the hardest days of my life.
Last December, with a thousand thoughts in my head, I walked into the Islamic Center of San Diego for my father's funeral prayer. My family emigrated from India to the U.S. in 1995. I was educated in America, worked here, and am a father to an American-born daughter.
Burying my father on this soil that day, I was connecting my past, present, and future to the land where I have lived most of my life.
As a Muslim, I have also witnessed the growth of the Muslim community in America – socially, culturally, economically, and politically. At the same time, I have seen the rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence in the U.S. since the 1990s.
It had been a few years since I last visited the Islamic Center of San Diego. The building had not changed much. A beautiful, modern minaret and dome blending traditional Islamic architecture stood out from the freeway, signaling the Muslim presence.
Strangely, there was a heavily armed security guard at the door. That was new, I thought. Despite hate messages on the voicemail of mosques I frequent in the San Diego area, I never thought we were in danger. “Is this really necessary?” I wondered.
The guard's face looked familiar. Then, as I approached, he shouted “KASHIF BHAI!!!” and I saw Amin's familiar big smile.
We used to work together when I was at a dental clinic. I was his manager, and he was not very good at dental work. But it was hard to fire someone who greeted you so warmly with a bright smile and kept working.
He was always drawn to people in uniform. He would often rush out of the dental clinic the moment he heard a police siren.
I finished my studies and moved away from San Diego to pursue a career in biotechnology, while my parents and siblings stayed. I visited but did not see Amin again until that day.
It was great to see him fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a security guard. On that difficult day, when I was burying my father, we laughed and quickly caught up on life. I had probably last seen him about 20 years earlier. That was our final meeting.
Yesterday, he was martyred defending the mosque. Amin, which means “trustworthy,” lived up to his name and died doing what he loved.
Amin was born a Muslim to an African-American mother. He was a true American. At the same time, he was a complete Muslim.
