Alleged attackers reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and fake Arabic to mock student in Islamic cultural attire
The Austin, Texas, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Austin), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an allegedly bias-motivated attack on a UT Austin Muslim student and his friend as a possible hate crime.
[MEDIA ADVISORY: CAIR-Austin team and local community leaders plan to hold a press conference about the incident 11 a.m. tomorrow, April 9, outside of City Hall in Austin. CONTACT: CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah, 1-214-597-0690, fshah@cair.com; CAIR-Austin Operations Manager Shaimaa Zayan, 1-512-785-7105, Shaimaa.zayan@cairtx.org]
The alleged attack (APD report 2024-9005974) reportedly occurred last Friday night as the student, who was wearing attire associated with the South Asian Muslim community (kurta shalwar), walked back to campus after praying at a local mosque. He reported to CAIR-Austin that a group of three men approach and began derisively yelling phrases such as “Allau Akbar” (an apparent attempt to mock the common Islamic phrase for “God is great”) and the mock Arabic “lalalala.”
After reportedly blocking the path of the student and his friend, the alleged assailants threw punches that resulted in the Muslim student reportedly suffering cuts and contusions. One of the alleged assailants reportedly reached into his pocket and told the victims he had a weapon.
In a statement, CAIR-Austin Operations Manager, Shaimaa Zayan, said:
“No human being should feel unsafe wearing their traditional clothes in public. And when this happens in Austin, a city that cherishes cultural diversity, it is even more traumatizing. This alleged attack reopened our wounds from the February stabbing of a Palestinian-American. Investigating these incidents as hate crimes is essential.”
In a statement, CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah said:
“We urge the UT Austin administration to take steps to ensure the safety of Muslim students. There is a disturbing pattern of Islamophobia toward the Muslim student population of the UT campus in Austin. That includes this and previous incidents of disrupting Palestinian 101 students event calling them terrorists (Oct. 12th, 2023); Cyber threats and insulting before a dinner event at Nueces mosque for students to break their fast in solidarity with Palestine (Oct. 19th, 2023); the verbal abuse Muslim students faced while tabling on campus when a woman yelled ‘murders’ at them (Oct. 27th, 2023); and the hateful remarks from a man toward a group of Muslim students, including ‘Israel will wipe you out’ and ‘You all are going to hell’ (Nov. 1st, 2023).”
In February, CAIR-Austin welcomed confirmation by the Austin Police Department (APD) that an attack on a group of young Muslims after a pro-Palestinian protest and the stabbing of a 23-year-old Palestinian-American was bias motivated.
Last week, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which reveals the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history, at a news conference at its Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documents 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
SEE: 2024 Civil Rights Report: Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate
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CONTACT: CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah, 1-214-597-0690, fshah@cair.com; CAIR-Austin Operations Manager Shaimaa Zayan, 1-512-785-7105, Shaimaa.zayan@cairtx.org; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com