The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) deplores and utterly condemns the killing of Khalid Jabara, a Lebanese-American Christian in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Fri Aug 12, 2016.  The perpetrator had reportedly made frequent racial and ethnic slurs against Arab Americans, Muslims and African Americans, and had even been jailed for running his vehicle over Jabara’s mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jabara family.

ADAMS calls on Tulsa Police, DOJ and FBI to investigate this heinous action as a hate crime. This horrific hate crime must be dealt with swiftly, and the perpetrator prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

ADAMS also condemns the unwarranted fear and irrationality that can result from the hate rhetoric and stereotyping of Muslims by individuals and groups in the USA and worldwide.  We fear this can and clearly does inevitably lead to hate threats, and even spark such hate crimes.

There have been too many such incidents:  Saturday Aug 13, saw an execution style killing of an Imam and his associate in Queens, NY; a Muslim doctor was shot and stabbed outside a Texas mosque; two Muslim men were shot on their way to a Minneapolis mosque, two teenage Muslims boys were viciously beaten outside a Brooklyn mosque; and another Muslim man was beaten in Orlando.  In 2015, 78 Mosques were attacked in the USA and nearly a dozen Muslims killed in Hate Crimes or for undetermined but apparently motiveless reason.

No person should live in fear of such mindless brutality.  This must cease.

American Muslims not only contribute to society in their daily lives, but ar also partners in national security and consistently work with law enforcement against all violent extremism.   We thank the many Interfaith groups and people of goodwill who join to denounce all bigotry and hate, and pray that all Americans will accept the need to counter any violent extremism.

God’s message of peace and tolerance is the cornerstone of every faith’s teachings.  We therefore pray for anyone affected by this violence, and that the perpetrators of these horrific attacks will repent and cease such despicable activity.