TL/DR –
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, is calling for federal and state hate crime charges against a suspect accused of stabbing a 23-year-old Palestinian American man in Texas. The victim, Zacharia Doar, was reportedly assaulted following a pro-Palestinian protest in Austin, with the suspect allegedly trying to rip a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf from the car Doar was in before the attack. The Austin Police Department has identified the suspect as Bert James Baker, labelled the incident as bias-motivated, and the case is now due to be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee.
Advocacy Group Urges Hate Crime Charges in Texas Stabbing Case
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s foremost Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, is pressuring prosecutors to levy federal and state hate crime charges against a man implicated in the stabbing of a young Palestinian American in Texas.
The victim, 23-year-old Zacharia Doar, was stabbed after a pro-Palestinian rally in Austin, according to the council. Nizar Doar, the father of the victim, stated at a press conference that his son is in severe pain following surgery. The council and community leaders are calling for the incident to be treated as a hate crime, partly due to the suspect’s alleged attempt to snatch a flagpole carrying a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, from the car where the victim was seated.
The suspect, Bert James Baker, was identified by the Austin Police Department who believe the assault was “bias-motivated.” Now, a Hate Crimes Review Committee will assess the case before providing information to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
The increase in reported anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and antisemitic incidents coincides with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The victim’s father claims that his son attributed the attack to President Joe Biden’s reluctance to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The incident occurred after the victim and three other Muslim Americans attended a pro-Palestinian protest. The group was driving when Baker allegedly attempted to rip off a flagpole carrying a ‘Free Palestine’ keffiyeh from their car. CAIR alleges that Baker yelled racial slurs before attacking and stabbing the victim.
The Austin Police Department apprehended Baker, and the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment. Neither party is affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, according to the university’s police force.
“The entire Austin Muslim community stands in solidarity with these young victims of the rising wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate in our nation,” said Fayyaz Shah, the chair of CAIR Austin’s board. He urges law enforcement to file hate crime charges against Baker and also encourages federal law enforcement to initiate a hate crime investigation.
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