The Austin office, Dallas office and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to file hate crime charges against Bert James Baker, the man accused of attacking a group of young Muslims after a pro-Palestinian protest, stabbing and seriously injuring a 23-year-old Palestinian-American.
SEE: One injured in possible stabbing in West Campus, suspect arrested
MEDIA ADVISORY: CAIR and local community leaders plan to hold a press conference about the incident tomorrow, Feb. 6 at 11:00 A.M. outside of City Hall in Austin, Texas. Three of the victims are Palestinian-Americans, including the 23 year-old who was stabbed.
On Feb. 4 around 7 p.m., four young Muslim Americans who had just attended a protest in support of Palestinian human rights were driving home when a white male riding a bicycle, later identified as Bert James Baker, allegedly attempted to rip a flagpole with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf reading ‘Free Palestine’ off of their car.
According to the victims, Baker repeatedly screamed the n-word and other obscenities, opened the passenger door, pulled one of the victims out of the car and physically attacked him. The three others in the car say they then exited the car and fought off Baker. After Baker appeared to be subdued, he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the young men in the chest, breaking one of his ribs.
The stabbing victim again subdued Baker, who was arrested after police arrived on the scene. The father of the stabbing victim reports that he has undergone a successful surgery and is recovering at the hospital.
In a statement, CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah said:
“The entire Austin Muslim community stands in solidarity with these young members of our community, who appear to be the latest victims of a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate across our nation. We encourage law enforcement to file hate crime charges against the suspect and we also encourage federal law enforcement to open a hate crime probe.”
In a statement, CAIR-Dallas Director Mustafa Carroll said:
“We strongly condemn this apparent act of hate, we applaud these young men for bravely defending themselves, and we call on state and federal law enforcement authorities to file appropriate charges against the suspect, including hate crime charges. No one should be targeted and attacked because they put Palestinian-themed items on their vehicle. Anti-Palestinian racism and anti-Muslim bigotry have no place in Texas or anywhere else in our nation.”
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“This apparent act of hate in Austin appears to be the latest incident of hate motivated by the rise in anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. From the murder of six-year-old Wadea outside Chicago to the shooting of three college students in Burlington, Vermont, far too many incidents of violence against Muslims, Palestinians and others who support Palestinian human rights have occurred over the past several months. Those responsible for this violence must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and those fomenting the hate that leads to this violence must be condemned.”
He noted that CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Dallas Director Mustafa Carroll, 1-832-549-1042; muspeaks@gmail.com; CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah, 1-214-597-0690, fshah@cair.com; 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