Muslim Coffee Shop Owner: Terrorism Not Linked to Islam

A Massachusetts man who lost his sister in the 9/11 attacks said the terrorist strike in Nice, France, hits close to home.

"To see it happening in other places is extremely sad," said Afkham Salie, who owns a coffee shop in Newton.

But Salie's connection to the killings runs deeper. As a Muslim, he is also accustomed to the public attacks on his religion that follow acts of terror.

"To me, it has nothing to do with the religion," Salie explained. "There's nothing in the religion that I know about that encourages this kind of behavior in any way."

Salie immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 2007. While he has been warmly welcomed by the Newton community, he has concerns about the rhetoric used by high profile figures, such as presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"That bothers me," he said. "We fear what we don't understand. That is human nature. It takes struggle to try and understand something before reacting negatively to it."

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