Southern Colorado Muslims react to Obama’s Oval Office address, fear backlash after San Bernardino attack

Kamel El Wazeir fled his native Qatar in 1999 for freedom in the United States. Here, he met his wife, a native of Denver, and together they have three boys.

“The U.S. was built on immigrants, El Wazeir said. “It was built on many faiths and no faiths. I cherish living in the United States Of America.”

A devout Muslim, El Wazeir prays five times a day. He says the religion has earned a bad name with the actions of groups like ISIS and its sympathizers.

He can’t understand why husband and wife killers, Saed Farook and Tashfeen Malik became radicalized and murdered 14 people at a San Bernardino disability center last Wednesday.

“These two people who did these actions did them under a great religion,” El Wazeir said.

UCCS terrorism expert, Edin Mujkic, a Muslim, says the factors that contribute to radicalization are complicated.

“It’s a combination of socioeconomic factors, it’s how well integrated in society they are,” Mujkic said. “It’s not as simple as someone sending a message on Facebook.”

“If you have a bad apple all what you need to do is take that bad apple out and enjoy the rest of the apples,” El Wazeir said. “You cannot label the whole box of apples as being bad.”

This sentiment of diversity was echoed by President Obama during his Oval Office address.

“Even in this election season let’s not forget freedom is more powerful than fear,” Obama said.