( CNN ) Many have been asking whether Tuesday 's horrific execution-style killing of three Muslim students in North Carolina was due to a dispute over a parking spot . Let 's be real . People do n't die over parking spots . Craig Stephen Hicks was arrested on Tuesday over the deaths of Deah Shaddy Barakat , 23 , Yusor Mohammad , 21 , and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha , 19 . Chapel Hill police have said that an ongoing dispute over a parking place may have been a contributing factor . But while that may be true , the evidence suggests that Hicks had an underlying animosity towards the victims because of their beliefs . On his Facebook page , Hicks reportedly showed his support for `` anti-theism , '' the active opposition of religious belief . As Reza Aslan explained in a recent essay , anti-theists often view `` religion as an insidious force that must be rooted from society -- forcibly if necessary . '' The lead photo on Hicks ' page talked about how he wanted `` religion to go away , '' and in a 2012 post , he quoted heavily from biologist and so-called `` New Atheist '' Richard Dawkins . Mohammad Abu-Salha , the father of two of the victims , said his daughter -- who wore the Muslim headscarf and lived next door to Hicks -- had reportedly told her family a week earlier `` that she had a hateful neighbor . '' The News and Observer reported that he also said that in the past , she had told her family that Hicks picked on her and her husband and would talk to them while carrying his gun in his belt , making them feel extremely uncomfortable. `` 'Honest to God , ' she said , 'He hates us for what we are and how we look , '' he recalled . Hicks ' postings on social media suggest that he is not only anti-religion , but like many prominent New Atheists , likely has a particular contempt for Islam . Although Dawkins condemned the murders on Twitter , it is hard not to recall the comments he and other New Atheists like Sam Harris and Bill Maher have made about Islam in the past . Dawkins himself said he considers this religion of some 1.6 billion people `` as one of the great evils in the world . '' For his part , Hicks allegedly wrote , `` When it comes to insults , your religion started this , not me . If your religion kept its big mouth shut , so would I . '' Following the shootings , the attorney of Hicks ' wife said that her husband `` had a problem with many of his neighbors , '' and that the `` victims were at the wrong time and the wrong place . '' But when we consider Hicks ' own comments and postings on social media in the context of much of the anti-Muslim rhetoric we see in the media and elsewhere , it is hard to see Tuesday 's tragedy as a genuinely random incident . Anti-Muslim hate crimes are five times more common today than they were before 9/11 . And just a couple weeks ago , a Texas state senator effectively questioned the loyalties of Muslim-Americans , reportedly posting on her Facebook page that she had left instructions with her office that Muslim visitors `` publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws . '' Neighbors have said that Hicks was prone to outbursts and that he made everyone feel unsafe , Muslim or otherwise . But that in and of itself does n't make Hicks an equal opportunist when it comes to his choice of alleged victims . Being mentally unstable or a generally angry person and being motivated by religious hate are not mutually exclusive . In a move familiar to many Muslim organizations that are called upon to denounce the actions of a violent co-religionist , the American Atheists organization issued a statement condemning the murders of the three Muslim students . But we should n't expect them or any organization to apologize for the murderous actions of an individual . If Hicks is found guilty , there is no doubt that he alone should bear the responsibility for his actions and be punished accordingly . Even if he self-identifies as atheist , atheists and atheism are not to blame for his heinous actions . Still , although the killings of these three young Muslims should not be attributed to a lack of belief in God , they were allegedly committed by a man with an active contempt for belief in God . Regardless of whether law enforcement deems these killings officially a hate crime , we as a society need to acknowledge that violent extremists come in all creeds -- and they can be inspired and their anger nourished by any religion , or animosity towards one . With this in mind , the mainstream majority -- hailing from whatever faith or ideology -- needs to stand united against these kinds of acts of violence , regardless of the source . In practical terms , this means going beyond condemnation , by following the examples of people like Deah , Yusor , and Razan who lived out their faith values through service to others . We should also follow the example of organizations like Found Beyond Belief , which launched an atheist and humanist community drive to honor the victims . Ultimately , our nation 's diversity is its strength . As citizens , we must do whatever we can to protect it .
Craig Stephen Hicks is being held over killing of three Muslims . Score: 6