The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) today welcomed the arrest of a suspect in an alleged anti-Hispanic assault at a gas station in Groton.
Joshua C. Manko, was charged with first-degree intimidation due to bigotry or bias, third-degree assault, and second-degree breach of peace for allegedly assaulting a man and calling him a “racial slur that refers to someone of Latin American descent.”
“We welcome the swift action taken by law enforcement in this case. Bias-motivated violence has no place in our state or our country. Every community deserves to feel safe and respected, regardless of their background,” said Farhan Memon, Chairman of CAIR-Connecticut.
Memon noted that in September, CAIR-CT condemned a racist vandalism at a Catholic school in West Hartford.
He said Washington, D.C., based 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: Farhan Memon Chairman, CAIR-Connecticut, 203-517-6526 or fmemon@cair.com