(SANTA CLARA, CA, 2/24/22) – The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today condemned two recent antisemitic and racist hate incidents.
The first incident involved a Bay Area white supremacist group posting the antisemitic flyers around the doorsteps of North Berkeley Hills, blaming the coronavirus pandemic on Jewish communities. “Flyers were thrown from a moving vehicle overnight along Marin Avenue and Grizzly Peak corridor.”
Council Member for Berkeley District 1, Rashi Kesarwani, tweeted, “Our community stands united against hate in all forms. I strongly & unequivocally condemn this hateful act of anti-Semitism against our Jewish community.”
The Berkeley Police Department is investigating this incident.
CAIR-SFBA also condemned the racist slurs and threatening messages by Yuba City High School counselor, Todd Tyler.
Tyler reportedly left several voicemails for two coaches of the Marysville High School varsity softball team. He was arrested on charges of making criminal threats, hate speech involving threats and carrying a concealed gun in his car. Tyler is being held in the Yuba County jail with a bail of $150,000 pending future court proceedings.
The Yuba City Unified School District said Tyler is on administrative leave pending the outcome of law enforcement and internal investigations.
In a statement to the community, the district said:
“The actions described as leading to the arrest are reprehensible and deeply troubling. They are entirely at odds with who we are as a school district and as educators. Any action that calls into question the fitness of an employee to guide our students is something we take very seriously. We have taken immediate steps to ensure the safety of our school and students while the matter is investigated.”
“We condemn these disturbing acts of hate. Bigotry has no place in our community,” said Sameena Usman, senior government relations coordinator for CAIR-SFBA. “We will continue to stand and defend our fellow community members in the face of such hatred.”
She said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Coordinator Arooba Kazmi at a-kazmi@cair.com, 408.498.5690