Following September 11, 2011, Oscar Dillion developed a hatred toward “radical Islam.” And it was this dislike that fueled an anti-Muslim tweet he sent to Qasim Rashid, a Democrat running for Congress.
But when the congressional candidate noticed the tweet, he didn’t ignore it or call Dillion out in a negative light, instead he used what he learned from his faith.
Rashid acknowledged Dillion’s “deeply hurtful” tweet by donating $55 to his constituent’s GoFundMe. He also asked his followers to consider donating to the man’s fundraiser.
“My faith instead teaches me to serve all humanity,” Rashid tweeted.
Dillion, 66, had been trying to raise money for he and his wife to cover medical bills. On his GoFundMe page, Dillion said the cost of a hospital stay for his wife’s double pulmonary embolism, which nearly killed her, and subsequent checkups has caused them to go broke.
In addition, their home needs to be made handicap accessible, but they do not have the funds as her inheritance has run out and his retirement savings has been depleted.
“Inspired by Qasim Rashid”
So far more than $21,000 has been donated, and many of them have come from those who have been inspired by Rashid’s response to a comment filled with hate.
Not only have strangers been inspired, but so has Dillion.
“What this has done is reopen my eyes,” he told NBC News.
Following Rashid’s generosity, the two met and it left Dillion feeling embarrassed.
“This has reopened my eyes to pre-9/11, where I would look at each individual as a person,” Dillon said. “He has showed me that there is good in all walks of life.”
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