Abe Mohamed photo courtesy of Malak Dahi

Abe Mohamed was a 19 year old student attending Henry Ford College with plans to become an electrical engineer. On February 22, 2026, he was announced dead via Instagram story posted by Kanet Castillo, Abe’s partner and fellow student. “Hopefully you’re happy and resting in a better place,” Castillo posted, “It’s a huge heartbreak for me and this will not over the hurt I’m feeling but the Arab community loves to point the finger instead of taking accountability and Abe is a testimony of what can happen.” Castillo followed up with a post the day later revealing that Abe had committed suicide.

Prior to the student’s passing, he had been dealing with ongoing harassment both on-campus and online. And while there is a very vocal minority that does not speak for the whole community, a majority of the community still chooses to stay silent in light of this issue. Abe’s death was not unexpected, and the lack of coverage his story is getting is intentional.

Abe is of Yemeni descent, which unfortunately plays a big role in his story. He openly did not fit societal expectations for biological men as a Middle Eastern man. Going to college in a predominantly Muslim area not fitting the expectations to match it, colleagues of his did not give him grace or the time of day. A lot of conservative areas struggle with this issue, and Abe’s story is no different than other queer people around the world; the only difference is he is a person of color and of Muslim descent.

A common practice in many religions, such as Islam, is to not spread hate and to not force your beliefs onto others. Despite this, those around us unfortunately do not practice this belief; while not everyone is spreading this rhetoric, our silence makes us complicit. To be a by-standing ally, you allow yourself to play both sides. It makes things easy. You can like the occasional pride post, tolerate a group project with the openly queer student, but won’t openly preach and advocate for them or actually befriend one. Not only are we hurting those around us, we are making ourselves look worse in the process. Discriminating others for their race, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity isn’t okay. Using your beliefs to spread hate isn’t okay, and even if you are discriminated against, it doesn’t make it OK for you to spread the same level of hate. Please do not send hate to anyone involved in this incident and keep his family and loved ones in your prayers.

Memories and expressions of sympathy can be shared on the tribute book at: https://www.verheyden.org/obituaries/Abrahim-Mohsen-Yehya-Mohamed?obId=4...

If you or someone close to you is struggling with thoughts of suicide it is important to reach out to loved ones and seek resources and help that is available to you. Do not be afraid to speak up to those around you; your voice matters.