(SANTA CLARA, CA, 12/12/23) – The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today strongly condemned a reported recent hate crime targeting advocates for Palestinian rights and called on the San Jose Police Department for a swift and thorough investigation.
Volunteers with the Northern California Islamic Council, who have placed banners on freeway overpasses as part of a campaign to counter the one-sided narrative about Israeli violence in Palestine, have witnessed an increasing level of hostility, with initially mild harassment escalating into a more serious offense.
On Dec. 10, an unidentified man, who was passing the volunteers in his truck as they placed their banners in a public space, slowed down, blared an air horn, then stopped and exited his vehicle.
He reportedly approached the volunteers aggressively, demanded that they remove the banner, called them terrorists, and threatened them with what appeared to be bear spray. He then took out a knife, stabbed the banners, and ripped them down.
The volunteers reported the incident to the San Jose Police Department, who have committed to treat it as a hate crime.
SEE: Video Footage of Incident
In response to this alarming incident, Executive Director CAIR-SFBA Zahra Billoo said,
“We are appalled by the brazen assault and vandalism targeting advocates exercising their right to express support for Palestine. This incident is not only an attack on individuals but also an affront to our country’s principles of free speech.
“No one should face threats or violence for peacefully expressing their views. We call on the San Jose Police Department to swiftly and thoroughly investigate this incident as a hate crime, identify the perpetrator, and bring him to justice. Hate and intimidation have no place in our society.”
Last week, CAIR issued updated civil rights data showing that its chapters and offices across the country have received a staggering 2,171 complaints over the past two months—a 172 percent increase over a similar two-month period the previous year—as Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate “spin out of control” amidst the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In one recent Bay Area incident, a Monterey man vandalized a car and was arrested and charged with a hate crime when he admitted to doing it because the car owner was Muslim. This crime follows another hate-motivated incident on a Sand City beach, where a man vandalized a “Free Gaza” sign created by three young Palestinians and is accused of having choked the 13-year-old child in the group.
SEE: Monterey man arrested on suspicion of anti-Muslim hate crime.
CAIR-SFBA reiterates its commitment to combating bigotry, racism, and hate in all its forms and encourages those experiencing acts of aggression, racism, and Islamophobia to contact its Civil Rights Department at 408.986.9874.
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 Senior Communications Coordinator Lorrie Adam, ladam@cair.com, 408.986.9874