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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Probe of Attack on Sikh in Calif.
Man stabbed while waiting for flight at Fresno airport

(SACRAMENTO, CA, 12/5/11) –- The Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today contacted the FBI and local police to seek the investigation of a possible bias motive for the stabbing of a Sikh man at Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Sunday evening.

CAIR-SV says the man was reportedly stabbed while waiting in a public area near the Transportation Security Administration terminal. The suspect, who was apprehended by police, is described as a 26-year-old white man. The victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries and then boarded his flight. Police say there were no words exchanged between the two men before the attack.

SEE: Sikh Man Stabbed Waiting for Plane at Fresno Airport

"We ask local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to probe a possible bias motive in this case," said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra. "Sikh men who wear beards and turbans as part of their faith are often targeted by bigots who mistake them for Muslims."

He noted that a Hindu man was assaulted last month in San Jose, Calif., by a group of men who called him a "terrorist."

SEE: San Jose Man Punched, Called 'Terrorist' on Grocery Trip to Lucky

Earlier this year, CAIR-SV offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals who gunned down two elderly Sikh men in Elk Grove, Calif.

SEE: Muslim Civil Rights Group Offers Reward for Info on Gunman in Deadly Shooting
CAIR: Muslim Organization Offers Reward

Last fall, CAIR-SV called for an FBI investigation of an attack on a Sikh cab driver in West Sacramento. The driver said his passengers made anti-Muslim remarks during the attack. Two men were later arrested on charges of felony assault and commission of a hate crime.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CONTACT: CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, 916-289-3748, E-Mail:belkarra@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com