CAIR: Injured Texas Muslim Student Says He Did Report Bullying

Muslim civil rights group calls for probe of school's actions prior to assault

HOUSTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) today called for an investigation of a local junior high school's actions prior to an assault on a Muslim student in which his jaw was broken by a fellow student who had allegedly bullied the victim using ethnic and religious slurs.

The Arab-American Muslim 8th-grader at Beckendorff Junior High in Katy, Texas, is now able to speak following surgery last week to insert pins and a plate to repair his jaw, which was broken in two places. The boy's father says he was struck by a much larger boy following incidents of racial and religious bullying. (The victim's family said he is 5'2" and 125 pounds, while police say the alleged assailant is 5'8" and 180 pounds.)

According to the injured boy's family, the alleged assailant had in the past bullied their son with taunts of "terrorist," "you are Muslim, you should go home," and "you blow up buildings."

The school put out a statement following the assault claiming that neither of the students "notified campus administrators about the situation." The Muslim student today reported to CAIR that he did tell three different school officials about the bullying several weeks ago.

"An independent investigation by the school district must seek to reconcile the statement of the Muslim student that he had reported the bullying and the claim by the school that he had not," said CAIR-Houston Board Member Kaleem Siddiqui.

Siddiqui said CAIR publishes a booklet, "An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," designed to help school officials provide a positive learning environment for Muslim students.

SEE: An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices

http://www.cair.com/Portals/0/pdf/education_guide.pdf

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.

CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Board Member Kaleem Siddiqui, 713-838-2247 or 832-305-6237, E-Mail: [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: [email protected]; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations

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