(PORTLAND, OREGON, 2/1/18) – The Oregon chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Oregon) today applauded a decision by the Benton County District Attorney’s office to pursue hate crime charges against alleged white supremacist Andrew Oswalt.
Oswalt is suspected of vandalizing vehicles used by activists from the group Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) with stickers printed with a racial slur.
“Whenever someone with a hateful agenda attempts to intimidate others, they should be held accountable for their actions,” said CAIR-Oregon Spokesperson Zakir Khan. “The alleged bias-motivated actions by this suspect were apparently designed to traumatize Oregonians who challenge racism and other forms of bigotry.”
SEE: OSU student charged with hate crimes
CAIR-Oregon has been meeting with government officials and community organizations throughout the year to advocate for hate crime reforms on local, state and federal levels.
The Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR’s Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report
Last year, CAIR launched an app to share critical “know your rights” information and to simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents. CAIR is urging American Muslims and members of other minority groups to download the app and utilize this resource to stay informed and empowered.
For a quick download of CAIR’s civil rights app, click here: http://www.cair.com/app
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
– END –
CONTACT: CAIR-Oregon Spokesperson Zakir Khan, 626-502-8450, zkhan@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com