(SACRAMENTO, CA, 2/22/18) — The Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, expressed concern to law enforcement authorities about a racist incident targeting a Muslim man in Modesto.
In the incident, which was captured on video, a man claiming to have connections to immigration agents can be heard saying, “They’re looking for you… and you’re not supposed to be in this country,” while physically intimidating and verbally harassing the alleged victim.
“Over the last year, we have seen not only an unprecedented spike in violence against Muslims and other minority communities, but also higher rates of discrimination and bullying targeting Muslim students in particular,” said CAIR-SV Outreach & Communications Fellow Dr. Hammad Khan. “The correlation between anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from our nation’s leadership and the rise of violence in our communities cannot be taken lightly. As Californians, we take pride in our diversity and we must stand up for the safety and the security of our minority communities.”
At this time, community members are being urged to report any information they may have about this incident to the Modesto Police Department (209-572-9500) and to contact CAIR Sacramento Valley / Central CA at 916-441-6269 or by filing a report at: http://ca.cair.com/sacval/
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SV Outreach & Communications Fellow Hammad Khan, (916) 581-0063, communications@sacval.cair.com; CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, (916) 441-6269; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com
