(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/28/2017) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for a hate crime investigation of a break-in and vandalism targeting an Alexandria, Va., Muslim family in which “F*** Muslims” was scrawled on a wall in the home.
The family, which is of South Asian heritage, reported to CAIR that the break-in and vandalism occurred sometime this weekend while they were out of town. Along with the obscene hate message, the perpetrators reportedly stole personal property, ripped up a Quran – Islam’s holy text – and damaged other Islamic materials such as prayer books. (Fairfax County Police Case # 20170860078)
“What may have begun as a break-in, clearly ended as a possible hate crime,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “The message of hate left at the scene and the damage done to religious texts indicate the need to investigate a bias-motive for this crime.”
Earlier today, CAIR’s Minnesota chapter called on state and federal hate crime charges to be brought against a man who allegedly stabbed and bit a man and then told police he “tried to stab the Somalian in the neck” and “I hate Muslims.”
SEE: Minnesota Stabbing Suspect “Tried to Stab the Somalian in the Neck,” Says “I Hate Muslims”
Also today, CAIR welcomed an arrest in the vandalism of a Colorado mosque.
Video: CAIR Says Colorado Mosque Attack Arrest Reflects National Problem
Last week, CAIR decried what it termed the Trump administration’s “deafening silence” on a growing number of anti-Muslim incidents in recent days, part of an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide that began during the recent presidential campaign and accelerated following the November 8 election.
Since the beginning of the year, CAIR has called for investigations of possible bias motives for 35 incidents targeting mosques in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Texas, and a number of other states. By comparison, in the January-March period in 2016, CAIR recorded 19 such incidents.
CAIR: This Map Shows How Many Mosques Have Been Targeted Just This Year (CNN)
In a soon-to-be-published report, CAIR will detail a more than 50 percent increase in anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2016 over 2015. That figure is accompanied by a more than 40 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the same period.
CAIR is asking American Muslims and Islamic institutions to take extra security precautions and is offering Muslim community leaders free copies of its booklet, “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.” The booklet may be requested through CAIR’s website: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html
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/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, 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.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com
