Ramadan Reflection Day 2: Lessons from the Light of a Candle
Imam Khalid Latif

Imam Khalid Latif is blogging his reflections during the month of Ramadan, featured daily on HuffPost Religion. For a complete record of his previous posts, click over to the Islamic Center at New York University or visit his author page, and to follow along with the rest of his reflections, sign up for an author email alert above, visit his facebook page or follow him on twitter.

I woke up very excited yesterday about hosting our first fast-breaking iftar dinner at our Islamic Center at New York University and seeing faces that I hadn't seen for quite some time. My mind and spirit were both stuck in a bubble of Ramadan goodness and along with it I assumed the rest of the world was in a similar place. As news broke out of the shootings that took place in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, that bubble popped and reality stepped in hard. For weeks prior I thought of my Ramadan from a very introspective lens. The tragic news of lives lost and shaken in Colorado reminded me that there is a still a world that exists around me, and that world can be a tough place to understand sometimes.

What would compel any individual to have such disdain for something as sanctified and precious as human life escapes me. How is it possible for someone to commit such a heinous act of violence? To have such an utter disregard for others? Unfortunately, it is very possible and it happens every day by people of all backgrounds against others indiscriminately.