The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a hate crime charge brought against a man who allegedly assaulted a woman at a sporting goods store in North Carolina.
Joshua Smith, 37, was charged with assault by pointing a gun, assault on a female, second-degree trespassing and ethnic intimidation. Smith was also charged with a hate crime. He reportedly threatened to assault a woman because of her race and pointed a gun at her. Smith also allegedly hit the woman in the back.
“We welcome the hate crime charge in this case and thank law enforcement authorities for apprehending the suspect,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “Unfortunately, the growing bigotry we see nationwide targeting minorities communities often results in such alleged acts of bias-motivated violence.”
Hooper said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]