Muslim civil rights group says incident points to need for hate crime law in South Carolina
(WASHINGTON D.C., 1/17/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of a teenager for allegedly altering a road sign to display a racist “Honk If You Hate N**Gers” message.
Washington, D. C., based CAIR said the hate incident points to the need for a hate crime law in that state.
Police in Sumter, S.C., arrested a 17-year-old and charged him with aggravated breach of peace. The teen is being held at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
SEE: South Carolina road sign changed to display racist message, officials say
https://thegrio.com/2022/01/16/racist-sign-sumter/
Teen charged with putting up racist message on Sumter road sign
“This hate incident is yet another example of why all states, including South Carolina, must enact strong hate crime laws,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We welcome this arrest and urge policymakers in South Carolina and nationwide to seriously address the rising level of bigotry we are witnessing throughout our society.”
He noted that such incidents show the importance of reflecting on the continued existence of systemic anti-Black racism while the nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Hooper added that just last week, CAIR expressed support for the “Clementa Pinckney Hate Crime Law,” named for the state senator killed along with eight others by a neo-Nazi, white supremacist shooter at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C.
SEE: CAIR Supports Lawmakers’ Push for South Carolina Hate Crime Law
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.
Video: CAIR Condemns Hostage-Taking at Texas Synagogue
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
