An attack on a Muslim student on the University of Washington campus two weeks ago has stirred fear in the community. Now, Muslim community leaders are calling on law enforcement and the university to do more. It was about five in the afternoon on November 15 when Nasro Hassan, walking near the University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library, was struck in the face with a glass bottle by an unidentified man. Hassan ended up with a concussion. And the UW police are now investigating.
But Arsalan Bukhari, executive director of the Washington chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, says the incident should be getting more attention. He points out that last year saw the highest number of hate crimes against Muslims since the FBI started tracking them. And he says in 2016 his office has recorded dozens of anti-Muslim hate crimes in Washington.
“And because of that context, we really want to make sure that we fully investigate this matter and find the motivation behind this attack and put this person to justice,” Bukhari said.
CAIR wants the FBI to investigate the UW incident as a hate crime. The FBI says it’s aware of the case, but for now is leaving it to local authorities.
Meanwhile, on the University of Washington campus, Muslim students are calling on the administration to do more to protect students. Just as Muslim community leaders were holding a news conference on Monday, University President Ana Mari Cauce issued a statement saying the university "condemns the incident in no uncertain terms" and encouraged anyone with information on "this or any incident of harassment" to call the university police immediately.
