AhlulBayt News Agency: The Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) has issued a strong condemnation of a hateful verbal attack targeting the Muslim community during Eid Al-Adha.
The incident occurred as members from the Islamic Center of San Francisco gathered for Eid al-Adha prayers at McLaren Park on Monday.
A video of the event shows an individual making racist and Islamophobic comments towards the group. The man is recorded saying, "Your religion is full of hate," and continued with further derogatory statements, including profanities and calling the attendees "devils."
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director of CAIR-SFBA, responded to the incident, stating, “This kind of hate speech is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” the group's official website reported on Tuesday.
“The Muslim community, like any other community, has the right to gather and worship in peace. Such incidents only serve to underscore the urgent need to address the rise in Islamophobia across our nation,” she added.
Billoo also emphasized the broader societal impact of such hostility, calling for unity and action against hate. "This kind of hostility and ignorance is not only harmful to those directly targeted but also to the broader society as it fosters division and intolerance. We urge community leaders, public officials, and all people of conscience to stand with us in denouncing such acts of hate."
Shahbaz Shaikh, a Board Member of the Islamic Center of San Francisco, expressed his shock and concern over the incident, remarking on its unprecedented nature in the community and the casual display of racism and xenophobia.
The incident aligns with a recent report by CAIR, which recorded the highest number of Islamophobia incidents in the organization's history. The report calls for immediate measures to address the growing anti-Muslim sentiment, which has grown specially after the start of Israeli war on Gaza last October.
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The incident occurred as members from the Islamic Center of San Francisco gathered for Eid al-Adha prayers at McLaren Park on Monday.
A video of the event shows an individual making racist and Islamophobic comments towards the group. The man is recorded saying, "Your religion is full of hate," and continued with further derogatory statements, including profanities and calling the attendees "devils."
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director of CAIR-SFBA, responded to the incident, stating, “This kind of hate speech is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” the group's official website reported on Tuesday.
“The Muslim community, like any other community, has the right to gather and worship in peace. Such incidents only serve to underscore the urgent need to address the rise in Islamophobia across our nation,” she added.
Billoo also emphasized the broader societal impact of such hostility, calling for unity and action against hate. "This kind of hostility and ignorance is not only harmful to those directly targeted but also to the broader society as it fosters division and intolerance. We urge community leaders, public officials, and all people of conscience to stand with us in denouncing such acts of hate."
Shahbaz Shaikh, a Board Member of the Islamic Center of San Francisco, expressed his shock and concern over the incident, remarking on its unprecedented nature in the community and the casual display of racism and xenophobia.
The incident aligns with a recent report by CAIR, which recorded the highest number of Islamophobia incidents in the organization's history. The report calls for immediate measures to address the growing anti-Muslim sentiment, which has grown specially after the start of Israeli war on Gaza last October.
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