The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting death of a Sikh man in California.
The Times of India initially reported that a 29-year-old Sikh musician was shot outside a gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) in Selma, Alabama, but CAIR has confirmed with officials of the Selma Gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) that the shooting occurred Friday night in Selma, California.
“Because of the rise in bias-motivated incidents we have witnessed in recent months, and because this shooting occurred near a house of worship, we urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate this crime with the possibility of a bias motive in mind,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
Hooper noted that CAIR has condemned previous attacks on Sikhs nationwide.
He 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, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@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