Posted on Sun, Aug 7, 2011 : 8:11 p.m.
FBI asked to investigate alleged hate crime
By AnnArbor.com Staff
A 21-year-old Muslim woman was sitting at a red light in Ann Arbor when another driver yelled racial slurs at her, WDIV-TV is reporting.
The incident is prompting the Michigan chapter of the Council On American-Islamic Relations to ask the FBI to investigate, according to the report.
Comments
Fiddlesticks
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
For those who asked how this has anything to do with "race": How Muslims got to be "racialized" <a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2008/10/02/casting-out-exploring-the-racialization-of-muslims/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.racialicious.com/2008/10/02/casting-out-exploring-the-racialization-of-muslims/</a>
Polecat
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
Who cares?
a2roots
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
The TV report stated that she got the license number and vehicle type but computer checks did not show up valid anywhere. Could she have been to panicked resulting in the incorrect plate number? On TV she did not appear to be overly panicked. Hard to imagine that the offender thought far enough in advance that they were purposely going to confront someone and altered their plate. Sounds and smells kind of fishy to me. I certainly don't condone such behavior but something doesn't add up.
Not from around here
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:57 p.m.
I saw the report today. It seems that she had a discription of the truck, the man driving it and the complete license plate number. The FBI ran that information through all 50 states and could not find a match. I would think with a discription and even a partal plate they should have been able to find him. It does make one wonder...
jcj
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
Peter Do you take everyone at their word? Or just Muslims?
Peter
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:36 p.m.
Hey I'm not saying she's lying, but maybe she's lying! Thanks, Hannity.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:31 p.m.
Give me a break, I've been called worse by VP Joe Biden.
Huron74
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
No excuse for not mentioning the gun brandishing Ann Arbor.com. That changes the whole context from from an angry outburst to a potential act of deadly violence. (If it's in fact true.)
Wolf's Bane
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:16 p.m.
I get that kind of treatment all the time and I'm a white male.
Sallyxyz
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:12 p.m.
The issue is the gun and the aggressive use of the car. Yelling racial slurs is unfortunate and unacceptable, but by itself, if every racial slur was investigated, police would do little else. People yell racial slurs at all races, unfortunately, including Caucasians. People yell obscenities and nasty comments at others for all kinds of reasons, not only racial (such as being obese or old, etc). None of this is acceptable in a civilized society, but civility has deteriorated and racial slurs are only one example.
Sandria Kellermann
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 6:58 a.m.
After reading all these comments, let me take this perspective because my heart goes out to this Musilm American woman. Since you reported this and were wise enough to get a license plate number after something so ugly happens in our own Ann Arbor, let me be the first to apologize for this other driver's attack and ignorance. It comes out of fear and hate not just against you as a Muslim but also as a woman. He is not what I consider an American because this country is made up of religions and races from everywhere and strengthens who we are. The only real Americans are the American Indians. So, please if you are reading these comments or your family is since this is your paper too, please accept my apology and compassion. I am sure it was frightening and you were smart enough to get some identifying information. I hope that you know there are many more in this country who respect your religion and your rights as an American woman than those who do not. Stay strong and realize they act out of fear and an inability to understand and accept others who seem different. It starts with parenting. And as parents we are all responsible and to remember our children are watching. I am sorry this happened to you.
Independent_Thinker
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 1:15 a.m.
Replies like this are just wrong. Why would you apologize for somebody else's actions? Are you telling me because you are a white person, you actually think that the "white race" owes this Muslim an apology? This "individual" owes her an apology. I don't owe her apology and neither does my race and neither do you. Assign responsibility to the individual who allegedly perpetrated this crime, regardless of race. Furthermore, statements like "The only real Americans are the American Indians" show a huge misunderstanding of the current knowledge of the world and universe. Sure the American Indians, in "recent" history populated what we now call North America. But numerous other homo sapiens and previous "versions" of humans (fancy apes) have inhabited the Earth prior to this drop in the bucket (5,000 years or so) we like to call history. 1492 (519 years ago) hardly compares to the estimated 150,000 years that the current version of humans has roamed the Earth. To assign ownership of the North America based on the short amount of time that American Indians populated North America is just plain incorrect. Technically, the dinosaurs have more rights to it than any humans do. The entire Earth, if anything, belongs to all species that have come, gone, and are still here. Humans have not been around that long.
jcj
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 11:21 a.m.
Sandria I don't disagree with what you are saying , but you need to understand that this women may be an American that has lived here all her life. To be a Muslim does not mean you are of a different nationality.
Patricia Cockrell
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 4:11 a.m.
I was so horrified at the lame reporting on annarbor.com that I wound up saying something foolish, for which I should apologize. Considering the level of expertise and commitment in Ann Arbor volunteer organizations, I'm sure if any of these organizations actually were doing the reporting for annarbor.com they would do a great job!! No slight to any volunteers intended. I guess I was trying to imply that aannarbor.com seems to be relying on unpaid persons to phone in whatever they think comprises a news story. At least that's how it looks to me.
Patricia Cockrell
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 4 a.m.
Wow. Has all the actual expertise left annarbor.com? Truly, this "report" was phoned in. There are never photographs accompanying the articles, frequent misspellings in what coverage actually makes it to 'print' and huge errors of omission when it comes to fact; sadly this has become the standard for many, many months and an awful embarrassment for the city of Ann Arbor. But is it now a volunteer organization? Because this is truly pitiful. Where are the relevant facts? This story is an important new event - maybe we can learn something after the FBI comes to town. There's nothing worth mentioning included in this story. Dixie Cockrell
John A2
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 4 a.m.
So where is the story and why is the feds involved in a NOT CRIME?????? Come on writers My 15 year old kid can do a much better job getting the facts in the news, so WHY can't you. This isn't the first lackadaisical story I have ran into here.
a2citizen
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:43 a.m.
According to the report she got the license plate number so I will be interested in hearing the other side of the story.
jcj
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:42 a.m.
The incident is prompting the Michigan chapter of the Council On American-Islamic Relations to ask the FBI to investigate "The FBI's involvement would send the message that our nation will not tolerate the targeting of religious minorities." The incident was certainly dangerous and warrants doing what ever can be done to catch the person. But why does it rate any more importance than if the same person did the same to me and shouted at me because I am a balding 60 year old white man? The term "hate crime" could be used for most crimes. There will be more resources put towards this"hate crime" than if I had been shot and killed. Some in this country are protected better than others>
Andrew MacKie-Mason
Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
Some in this country are targeted more than others. Page me when there starts being a significant number of people with an irrational hatred towards all balding 60 year old white men.
Technojunkie
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.
The Hamas front group CAIR has been known to make unsubstantiated allegations before: <a href="http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/08/15/hate-crime-rhetoric-not-supported-by-facts/" rel='nofollow'>http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/08/15/hate-crime-rhetoric-not-supported-by-facts/</a>
Andrew MacKie-Mason
Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 8:54 p.m.
I see what you did there.
Michigan Man
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.
If Ann Arbor had become this intolerant of Muslims - think what the rest of our fine nation is feeling?
thorj97
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
Was referring to the implication of your post that we can draw inferences regarding the general population of Ann Arbor from the actions of one person driving in Ann Arbor. I think that's a logical stretch at best.
Michigan Man
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 3:13 p.m.
thor - hate to inform you but I am normally referred to as a "community leader".
thorj97
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 9:54 a.m.
I doubt this person is representative of whatever community he lives in.
nickcarraweigh
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:46 a.m.
We got the FBI for this, we got the FBI for the serial rapist, we got the FBI for the 817 missing bank robbers. The only thing left for the $200,000-a-year men and women of the AAPD is aggressive panhandling marijuana addicts, parrot abusers and duckling murderers. Sic 'em.
Jimmy McNulty
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 11:15 a.m.
Nick, don't forget AAPD will now aggressively ticket motorists who don't yield to pedestrians approaching crosswalks on Plymouth Rd.
rosy12
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:05 a.m.
Yes - whats up with the reporting here?? You can go on to Detroit News site and get much more detail. Why is it that we only get a small blub here??
amlive
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:04 a.m.
You might want to update this little blurb with some of the relevant details. When I first read this I was wondering where the hate crime, or any crime at all was in yelling racial slurs as well (disgusting and scary as it may be, this spewing of ignorant hatred is pretty well protected by the 1st amendment). Sure it's easy to click on the link for the rest of the story, but I think the allegations that he swerved his vehicle toward hers and pointed a handgun at her is relevant enough to mention here.
nowayjose
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:01 a.m.
What a2com doesn't say is a hangun was pointed at her. Not only can they not develop their own stories. They can't even plagiarize right.
FreedomOfSpeech
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.
What does the fact that she is Muslim have to do with race?
FreedomOfSpeech
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 4:01 p.m.
@bedrog "..."freedom" is indeed deeply confused" How so? (That's rhetorical... I'm not confused at all) @Peter "It's so people like you" Wow Peter It's ;iike you know me... not. @Peter "when you say something racist." Wow... I ask a simple question and get attacked and called a racist. @Peter "The term 'Muslim' here in the US is used almost universally to mean 'Arab.'" That would actual be text book racism BTW. Hey Peter you don't drive a black Dodge Ram and have a bald head do you?
bedrog
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
@ a2 citizen..."freedom" is indeed deeply confused but in this particular instance is , by sheer coincidence and blind law of averages , correct. race= biology ( in theory at least) while religion= choice.
Peter
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.
The term 'Muslim' here in the US is used almost universally to mean 'Arab.' The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia - but nobody means Indonesians when they say they don't trust Muslims. It's so people like you to hide behind a flimsy 'but Islam isn't a race!' cry when you say something racist.
a2citizen
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 3:05 a.m.
I don't think Freedom is confused. You sound like you are confusing religion with race.
FaithInYpsi
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:52 a.m.
What???? Confused...
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:46 a.m.
Well, at least she wasn't sitting at a green light. That would make people mad.
Craig Lounsbury
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
well played
Greggy_D
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:33 a.m.
Sorry.....not a hate crime. Protected Free Speech.
FaithInYpsi
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:51 a.m.
Love the free speech comment...we are all entitled to it.
DBH
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:07 a.m.
Part of the AnnArbor.com story is the link they provide in the last sentence, highlighted as a link, the sentence that says "Read the report." If you can't bother clicking on that obvious link, perhaps you will be willing to click on this one: <a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28794549/detail.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28794549/detail.html</a>
Greggy_D
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 1:01 a.m.
No, I read what is above and it makes no mention of a gun. I think that would be an important detail to list in the first sentence along with "racial slurs".
DBH
Mon, Aug 8, 2011 : 12:58 a.m.
Did you even read the report!?!? The alleged perpetrator yelled racial slurs and ALSO pointed a gun at her. In your mind is pointing a gun at someone who poses no threat to you "Protected Free Speech?"