(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/18/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a guilty plea by a Tennessee man charged with a bias-motivated attack on a Muslim family in 2017.
Christopher Beckham pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime charge this week. He was indicted after stalking two Muslim girls wearing Islamic head scarves (hijab) and attacking them and their family with a pocketknife. Beckham admitted in court to carrying out the attack because of their perceived religious affiliation and ethnicity. He pleaded guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
SEE: Nashville man charged in assault on Muslim family pleads guilty to federal hate crime
Nashville man admits hate crime in attack on Muslim girls
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tennessee-man-pleads-guilty-federal-hate-crime
“We welcome this guilty plea as an indication that our system of justice can work for those who are targeted by hatred and bigotry, even if it takes years,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We thank all those law enforcement authorities who worked to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
He noted that CAIR recently released its latest report on the civil rights of American Muslims, titled “Resilience in the Face of Hate,” detailing more than 6,000 civil rights complaints the Washington, D.C., based group received in the past year.
SEE: CAIR Issues New Report Detailing 6000+ American Muslim Civil Rights Complaints
CAIR is 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.
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.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
END
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com