The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed confirmation by the Austin Police Department (APD) that an attack on a group of young Muslims after a pro-Palestinian protest and the stabbing of a 23-year-old Palestinian-American was bias motivated.
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In a statement, APD said in part:
“The Austin Police Department (APD) is aware of the bias-motivated incident that took place at Nueces St/W 26th St. APD is currently investigating this case. Based on the information we received, we believe the February 4, 2024 incident to be bias-motivated and will be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee. Once the committee reviews the details of this case, the information will be provided to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and/or the County Attorney’s Office. It is up to the prosecuting office to enhance the offense to a bias motivated crime not the investigative unit. Bert James Baker was arrested in connection to the incident.”
Yesterday, CAIR called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to file hate crime charges against Baker. Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX) posted online: “The recent rise in Islamophobia in this country is leading to deadly violence. We must condemn all anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim hate & violence. It should have no place in Austin or our country.”
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We welcome the swift recognition of the alleged motive for this attack and call on law enforcement authorities to bring appropriate charges in the case. Every American should be free to express their political views, wear symbols of their culture and practice their faith without fear of attack or intimidation.”
He noted that CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
BACKGROUNDER:
On Feb. 4 around 7 p.m., four young Muslim Americans who had just attended a protest in support of Palestinian human rights were driving home when a white male riding a bicycle, later identified as Bert James Baker, allegedly attempted to rip a flagpole with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf reading ‘Free Palestine’ off of their car.
According to the victims, Baker repeatedly screamed the n-word and other obscenities, opened the passenger door, pulled one of the victims out of the car and physically attacked him. The three others in the car say they then exited the car and fought off Baker. After Baker appeared to be subdued, he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the young men in the chest, breaking one of his ribs.
The stabbing victim again subdued Baker, who was arrested after police arrived on the scene. The father of the stabbing victim reports that he has undergone a successful surgery and is recovering at the hospital.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Dallas Director Mustafa Carroll, 1-832-549-1042; muspeaks@gmail.com; CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah, 1-214-597-0690, fshah@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com