Advancing Justice Condemns Anti-Muslim Attack and Fatal Stabbing In Portland, Oregon by A White Supremacist

Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), a national affiliation of five civil rights organizations, releases the following statement in response to yesterday's tragic attack in Portland:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) extends our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the two men fatally stabbed and another male victim seriously injured after confronting a man who verbally assaulted two female passengers with anti-Muslim insults on a public train in Portland, Oregon. The attacker is a known white supremacist.

The brave actions of the men are a testament to their immense courage to confront hate, racism, and xenophobia. We call upon the Trump administration to examine their rhetoric and to apologize for fomenting hate and discriminatory policies against Muslims apparent not only here but also in the sharp increase in Islamophobia and violence against Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian communities.

Last night's attack occurred on the first day of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar. Although authorities have not yet spoken to the female passengers, eyewitness accounts confirm one of the women was wearing a hijab. Advancing Justice supports the ongoing investigation by authorities in treating last night's tragedy as a hate incident.

In January, Advancing Justice launched the Stand Against Hatred website to track hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). More recently, the affiliation has partnered with the national Communities Against Hate initiative to ensure AAPIs are counted within hate crime reports.