(Houston, TX 3/31/2020) – The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today seeks hate crime charges for an attack targeting Asian-American family in Midland, Texas.
On March 14th in Midland, Texas an Asian American family of Burmese descent, including a 2 and 6-year-old, were stabbed shopping in Sam’s Club. The assailant indicated that he attempted to kill the family because “he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus” according to the report.
SEE: FBI warns of potential surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans amid coronavirus
SEE: Suspect admits he tried to kill family at Midland Sam’s Club
In a statement, CAIR-Houston Executive Director Lubabah Abdullah, ESQ said:
“The rise of anti-Asian attacks is disturbing and we must continue to stand in solidarity with our most vulnerable communities during this challenging time by condemning hate and denouncing xenophobia. This includes denouncing anti-Asian sentiments that compromise the safety of Asian communities at risk as we’ve seen in this recent Midland, Texas case. CAIR-Houston continues to urge Texans to follow public health guidelines first instead of succumbing to irrational and xenophobic actions.”
“We encourage anyone who is a victim of hate and discrimination to report it immediately to the authorities and to contact CAIR-Houston for support at 713-838-2247 or at our website https://cairhouston.com/get-help-now/ ”
CAIR urges Asian-American communities to exercise safety and caution amid the rise in hate crime attacks during the COVID-19 crisis.
See: Federal authorities warn of an increase in Asian American hate crimes
According to recent findings and intelligence reports compiled by the FBI’s Houston office, “incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease … endangering Asian American communities”
Recently, CAIR also condemned the President’s racist “Chinese virus” tweets.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Trump’s Use of Racist Dog Whistle ‘Chinese Virus’
In past weeks, CAIR has condemned several coronavirus related hate incidents.
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-Houston Executive Director Lubabah Abdullah, labdullah@cair.com , 713-838-2247; CAIR-Houston Communications Coordinator Ambreen Hernandez ahernandez@cair.com , 973-495-0976
