The man who killed three Muslim students near the University of North Carolina in 2015 has been jailed for life.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and was given three life sentences.

Craig Hicks fatally shot newlyweds Deah Barakat, 23, and Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Yusor’s 19-year-old sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in Chapel Hill.

The murders were not treated as hate crime, despite the fact he specifically targeted Muslims.

When this news broke 4 years ago, it was initially dismissed as a parking space dispute. It was only because Muslims rallied together to support the campaign the story received global reach and outrage that it deserved.

Since, there has been an increase white supremacists attacks in the USA and globally, fuelled by an distinctive Islamophobic narrative.

This is a reminder to us that if Muslims do not champion our causes, no one will. We will continue suffer in silence.