The Muslim News

WASHINGTON, D.C., CAIR:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on local and federal authorities to treat the beating of an 8-year-old Muslim child in Bensalem, Penn., as a hate crime. The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group says the child was allegedly beaten earlier this month by three 13-year-old boys who made remarks such as "go back to Iraq" and "Saddam Hussein helper" during the attack.

According to the Muslim boy's family, he came home with a bloody mouth and spent one night in the hospital for observation. He is now terrified to go outside and cannot sleep at night. The alleged attackers, whose names are apparently known to police, have not been taken into custody.

"A disturbing pattern seems to be developing in which ordinary American
Muslims, Arab-Americans and those perceived to be Middle Eastern, are
subject to attack merely because of their religion, ethnicity or
distinctive attire," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Law
enforcement authorities at both the local and national levels can help
discourage these types of assaults by treating them with the seriousness
they deserve."

In a similar incident on Monday in Pennsylvania, a 14-year-old
Iraqi-American girl says she was beaten by a classmate while a crowd of
students stood by yelling anti-Muslim comments. The victim said her
attackers shouted "kill the Muslim girl…that's what she deserves" during
the assault.

Also this week, a Sikh man who may have been mistaken for an Arab, was shot in Phoenix, Ariz. The victim said he heard his attacker shout "go back to where you belong," just before being shot. Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Email this story to a friend | Printable Version

CS4 CS3 software

Graphics oem softsare