[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 * * *

                          ____________________