[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 3, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12524-S12525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, hate crimes violate everything our
country stands for. They send a loud and clear message to some of our
fellow citizens that they are not welcome in our society. The Matthew
Shepard Hate Crimes Act, passed last week by the Senate as an amendment
to the Defense authorization bill, makes clear that we will not stand
by and allow our fellow citizens to be brutalized.
Enactment of such legislation is vitally important to the Arab-
American community, that has suffered a surge in hate crimes against
them in recent years because of 9/11. After the terrorist attacks that
day, the FBI documented a ninefold increase in hate crimes against
persons believed to be Arab or Muslim and a 130-percent increase in
incidents directed on individuals because of their ethnic background or
national origin. When the terrorists attacked our Nation, they also
delivered a second attack against Americans who shared their ethnic
background and religion but not their hate or violence.
In their recent publication, ``Report on Hate Crimes & Discrimination
Against Arab Americans: The Post-September 11 Backlash (2003),'' the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee identified a number of
confirmed and suspected hate crime murders of Arab Americans and those
perceived to be Arab or Muslim. In Mesa, AZ, Balbir Singh Sodhi, an
Indian Sikh, was shot while he was planting flowers outside his Chevron
station. His murderer, Frank Roque, had spent the day drinking and
raving about how he wanted to kill the ``rag heads'' responsible for
the terrorist attacks four days earlier. After being kicked out of a
bar, Roque went on a shooting rampage. He first shot and killed Sodhi,
and afterwards fired on the home of an Afghan family. He then fired
several times at a Lebanese-American clerk, who, fortunately, escaped
injury. During his arrest he yelled, ``I am a patriot!'' and ``I stand
for America all the way!''
In Dallas, Waqar Hasan, a Pakistani Muslim, was shot in the face
while cooking hamburgers in his grocery store. Mark Anthony Stroman
confessed on a Dallas radio program to the murder, saying he killed
Hasan and another man and shot a third person in revenge for the
terrorist attacks. During an interview, Stroman confessed that he
wanted to ``retaliate on local Arab Americans or whatever you want to
call them.'' He also added that he ``did what every American wanted to
do but didn't. They didn't have the nerve.'' Stroman was convicted and
sentenced to death. In Lincoln Park, MI, Ali Almansoop, a U.S. citizen
originally from Yemen, was shot to death while fleeing his attacker.
The victim was asleep with his girlfriend when her ex-boyfriend broke
into her apartment and dragged him out of bed. According to his own
police confession and the woman's statements, he threatened, ``I'm
going to kill you for what happened in NY and DC.'' The victim fled
outside and was shot in the back trying to escape.
Several other incidents have also occurred that are suspected to be
hate crime killings, including the murder of an Egyptian-American
grocery store owner, who was killed at work. He was confronted by two
men who shot him and rode off in a Honda driven by a third man, leaving
the money in the cash register intact.
In Reedley, CA, Abdo Ali Ahmed, a 50-year-old Arab-American store
employee, was shot several times and
[[Page S12525]]
killed at work late one afternoon. Witnesses told detectives that they
saw four males leave the site in a white four-door sedan. No money or
merchandise was stolen. The employee had received threats since mid-
September.
In Minneapolis, a Somali man waiting at a bus stop was beaten
unconscious and later died in the hospital. His son believes the
assault was the result of an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune,
which reported that local Somalis might have inadvertently donated to
an organization now linked to Osama bin Laden. In Los Angeles, Syrian-
born liquor storeowner, Ramez Younan, was shot to death behind his cash
register. Police said they had no suspects and no clear motive for the
shooting and no money was stolen from the store. The Los Angeles Police
Department found Younan's body but no witnesses.
These examples emphasize the need for effective legislation and the
importance of providing adequate resources to state and local law
enforcement to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. Violent hate
crimes can't be tolerated. We can reverse the tide of hatred and
bigotry, by sending a loud, clear message that hate crimes will be
punished to the full extent of the law, and will not be tolerated
against any member of society.
The Matthew Shepard Act is supported by a broad coalition of 210 law
enforcement, civic, disability, religious and civil rights groups,
including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Anti-
Defamation League, the Interfaith Alliance, the National Sheriff's
Association, the Human Rights Campaign, the National District Attorneys
Association and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. All of these
diverse groups have come together to say now is the time for us to take
action to protect our fellow citizens from the brutality of hate-
motivated violence. The Senate did just that last week, and we must do
all we can to see that this urgently needed federal legislation is
enacted into law as soon as possible.
Mr. President, I commend the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee for calling the Nation's attention to this serious problem,
and I ask unanimous consent that an excerpt from their recent report be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Passing legislation to prevent hate crimes is also vitally
important to the Arab American community. Arab Americans have
experienced a surge in hate crimes directed against them over
the past several years. Following the September 11 terrorist
attacks on our nation, the FBI documented a 1,600 percent
increase in hate crimes against those perceived to be Arab or
Muslim and a 130 percent increase in incidents directed at
individuals on the basis of ethnicity or national origin.
When terrorists attacked our nation, they served a second
blow against Americans who shared their ethnicity and
religion but not their hate and violence.
Taken from the landmark report, Report on Hate Crimes &
Discrimination Against Arab-Americans: The Post-September 11
Backlash (2003:69-70) produced by the American-Arab Anti-
Discrimination Committee Research Institute, the following
are examples of confirmed hate crime murders and those
suspected to be hate crime murders against Arab Americans and
those perceived to be Arab or Muslim. As hate crimes continue
against the community, ADCRI will issue their next report on
hate crimes in late fall 2007.
confirmed hate crime murders
September 15--Mesa, AZ: 49-year-old Indian Sikh, Balbir
Singh Sodhi, was shot while planting flowers outside his
Chevron station. His murderer, 42-year-old Frank Roque, had
spent the day drinking and raving about how he wanted to kill
the ``rag heads'' responsible for the terrorist attacks four
days earlier. After being kicked out of a bar, Roque went on
a shooting rampage. He first shot and killed Sodhi, and
afterwards fired on the home of an Afghan family. He then
shot several times at a Lebanese-American clerk who escaped
injury. During his arrest he yelled, ``I am a patriot!'' and
``I stand for America all the way!'' The U.S. Department of
Justice investigated the slaying as a hate crime murder.
September 15--Dallas, TX: 46-year-old Pakistani Muslim
Waqar Hasan was shot in the face while cooking hamburgers in
his grocery store. 32-year-old Mark Anthony Stroman,
confessed on a Dallas radio program to having committed the
murder, saying that he had killed Hasan and another man (see
below) and shot a third out of revenge for the terrorist
attacks (see also below) battery, September 21--Dallas, TX.
During the interview, Stroman confessed that he wanted to
``retaliate on local Arab Americans or whatever you want to
call them.'' He also added that he ``did what every American
wanted to do but didn't. They didn't have the nerve.'' (AP,
2/16/02) The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the
slaying as a hate crime murder. Stroman was convicted and
sentenced to death.
September 19--Lincoln Park, MI: A 45-year-old U.S. citizen,
Mr. Ali Almansoop, originally from Yemen, was shot to death
while fleeing his attacker. The victim was asleep with his
girlfriend when her ex-boyfriend, Brent Seever, 38, broke
into her apartment, dragged him out of bed and, according to
his own police confession and the girlfriend's statements,
threatened, ``I'm going to kill you for what happened in NY
and DC.'' The victim fled outside and, as he was running, he
was shot in the back. The U.S. Department of Justice
investigated the slaying as a hate crime murder.
October 4--Mesquite, TX: Vasudev Patel, a 49-year-old
Indian gas station owner, was shot to death during an armed
robbery. His killer, Mark Anthony Stroman (see above),
initially explained that the killing resulted from the
robbery, but later gave a conflicting explanation, telling
police that he was motivated by vengeance for the terrorist
attacks. Stroman alleged that he had lost a relative in the
World Trade Center. A security camera recorded the armed
man walking into the station, ordering the owner to give
him all of the money before shooting him. Stroman then
attempted to open the cash register and failed. He then
fled without taking any of the money. (The Dallas Morning
News, 11/3/01) On April 4, 2002, Mark Anthony Stroman was
sentenced to death for this slaying. (Also see above,
September 15--Dallas, TX, and Attempted Murder, September
21--Dallas, TX) (Reuters, 4/4/02)
Suspected Hate Crime Murders
September 15--San Gabriel, CA: An Egyptian-American grocery
store owner Adel Karas, 48, was shot to death while at work.
After a confrontation between the owner and two customers,
the two men shot him and sped off in a Honda driven by a
third man, leaving the money in the cash register intact.
(AP, 10/10/01) The U.S. Department of Justice investigated
the slaying as a hate crime murder.
September 17--Haines City, FL: 45-year-old Indian American
businessman Jayantilal Patel was found gagged, bound and
beaten at the motel he owned and operated. A month later,
police arrested Patel's murderers Sean Russell, 23 and
Kimberly Williams, 20. The pair confessed to killing Patel,
stealing his money and fleeing in his car. (The Washington
Post, 1/30/02) The U.S. Department of Justice investigated
the slaying as a hate crime murder.
September 18--Ceres, CA: The body of Surjit Singh Samra, a
69-year-old Sikh, was discovered two days after he had left
his home for an evening walk. His body was found beneath
about five feet of water in a nearby irrigation canal. Samra
still was clothed, but his turban and glasses were missing.
His wallet was in his pocket, money still intact. An autopsy
determined the man had drowned and there was no significant
trauma that suggested foul play. However, Samra's family
suspects he was the victim of a hate crime and pushed into
the water. (Modesto Bee, 10/18/01)
September 29--Reedley, CA: A 50-year-old Arab-American
store employee, Abdo Ali Ahmed, was shot several times and
killed while at work in the late afternoon. Witnesses told
detectives that they saw four males speed from the store in a
white four-door sedan. No money or merchandise was stolen.
The employee had received threats since mid-September. (The
Fresno Bee, 10/2/01) The U.S. Department of Justice
investigated the slaying as a hate crime murder.
October 3--Los Angeles, CA: A 53-year-old Palestinian-born
clothing salesman, Abdullah Mohammed Nimer, was killed in Los
Angeles while making his door-to-door rounds. There are no
known witnesses but Mr. Nimer's family is convinced that the
killing was a hate crime. Neither money nor goods were
stolen. (AP, 10/9/01) The U.S. Department of Justice
investigated the slaying as a hate crime murder.
October 14--Minneapolis, MN: A 65-year-old Somali man, Ali
Warsame Ali, was beaten unconscious while waiting at a bus
stop. He later died in the hospital. His son believes the
assault was the result of a recent article in the
Minneapolis's Star Tribune, which reported that local Somalis
might have inadvertently donated to an organization now
linked to Osama bin Laden. (Pioneer Press) The U.S.
Department of Justice investigated the slaying as a hate
crime murder.
October 17--Los Angeles, CA: A Syrian-born liquor
storeowner, Ramez Younan, was shot to death behind his cash
register. Police said they had no suspects and no clear
motive for the shooting. No money was stolen from the cash
register. Alerted by an anonymous 911 call about * * *
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