Organizations say police shooting of an Afghan Muslim teen could have been avoided
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 2/1/2023) – Community organizations came together today to respond to the release of the video of the shooting of an Afghan Muslim teen.
In a press conference hosted by the Sacramento Valley/Central California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Sacramento), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, the organizations said the police shooting of the Afghan Muslim teenager in Tracy, Calif., could have been avoided by using “other than potentially deadly force.”
Press Conference Video Link: https://fb.watch/iquNB6cWC9/
Participants included:
| Name | Title / Organization |
| Reshad Noorzay | Director, CAIR-SV/CC |
| Waheed Rahimi (translated the statement in Dari) | Special Projects Manager, CAIR-Sacramento Valley / Central CA |
| Sukaina Hussain (read the statement from the family’s attorney) | Deputy Executive Director, CAIR-Sacramento Valley / Central CA |
| Gulshan Yusufzai | Executive Director, MAS-Social Services Foundation |
| Mustafa Babak | Executive Director, The Afghan-American Foundation |
| Spojmie Nasiri | CAIR-National Board / Board member of Afghan American Community Organization |
| Zuhal Bahaduri | Executive Director, The 5ive Pillars Org |
| Shaykh Hamza Palya (Statement read by Reshad Noorzay) | Imam, Islamic of Society of Tracy |
| Imam Yasir Khan (Closing) | CEO, Al-Misbaah |
UPDATE: Tracy police to release body cam video of officer who shot Muslim teen
In a statement issued earlier today, CAIR-Sacramento Valley/Central California and the Afghan-American Foundation said:
“Having watched the video of this tragic incident, we believe that the officer could have used actions other than potentially deadly force to ensure the safety of all those involved, including the child who was shot. Potentially deadly force should be reserved exclusively for situations where no other alternative is available.”
CAIR-Sacramento is representing the family of the injured child and previously called for a fully transparent and independent investigation of the shooting.
CAIR-SV/CC is an office of Washington, D.C., based 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.
The Afghan-American Foundation (AAF) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing and advancing the interests of Afghans and Afghan-Americans through advocacy, research, education, and engagement.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SV/CC Senior Civil Rights Attorney Layli Shirani, lshirani@cair.com, (415) 518-8803;Executive Director Basim Elkarra, belkarra@cair.com, (916) 538-3308; Afghan American Foundation Executive Director Mustafa Babak, mustafa@afghanamericans.org, (202) 595-5752