Racist vandalism in Chelan prompts call for FBI investigation

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Racist vandalism in Chelan prompts call for FBI investigation

By K.C. Mehaffey
World staff writer

Originally published September 13, 2012 at 9:56 a.m., updated September 14, 2012 at 9:18 a.m.

The original version of this story included an incorrect word used in one of the racial slurs, where a G was misread as a C in "Doon Goons." The error has been corrected in this version.

Photo provided by the Council on American-Islamic Relations

Racial slurs were scrawled across this BMW, rented by a group of Seattle-area students who are Muslim, over Labor Day weekend in Chelan.

Photo provided by the Council on American-Islamic Relations

Racial slurs were scrawled across this BMW, rented by a group of Seattle-area students who are Muslim, over Labor Day weekend in Chelan.

CHELAN — Ever since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, more and more of Ahmed Brown’s friends and family members have experienced anti-Muslim hate crimes.

But until his visit with eight other Muslims to Lake Chelan on Sept. 1, the 25-year-old Bellevue man hadn’t been a victim.

The group of friends, most of them college students, spent the day playing at the lake, only to return to their rental car to find racial slurs scrawled across it, Brown said Monday.

The BMW also had deep scratch marks from front to back, and pictures of breasts and a penis etched into its paint.

Photo provided

Ahmed Brown

“These things are happening across America, so I wasn’t surprised that it happened to a group like us,” Brown said in a telephone interview Monday.

The slurs, “Doon Goon,” with dune apparently misspelled, and “Sand Niggers,” were obviously aimed at Middle Eastern Muslims, he said, although none of the nine people in his group are Arabs, he said.

“It was a bit ironic, but I expect the irony to be lost on the perpetrators,” he said.

Brown is an American, and currently a student at the University of Washington. He said his parents converted to the Islam religion.

His mother, who wears a head scarf, has been a victim. She was pushed from the curb into oncoming traffic, but was able to get out of the way before she was hit, he said. “Since 9/11, Muslims have noticed a big upshot” in anti-Muslim sentiment, Brown said.

Arsalan Bukhari, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Seattle branch, said hate crimes against Muslims have been directly tied to anti-Muslim rhetoric by politicians and religious leaders.

The civil rights group has asked the FBI to investigate. Bukhari said he doesn’t expect the federal agency can do anything more than the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is now doing. But, “At the very least, it puts a little extra motivation to local authorities to take the case seriously,” he said.

He’s urging citizens who may have seen someone in the parking lot, or who may have heard of someone bragging about the crime, to contact the sheriff’s office.

Authorities believe the incident may have been prompted by the group praying in public.

Brown said the vandal may have followed them to the watercraft parking lot after they had prayed in the parking lot of the nearby Best Western, or they may have heard or seen their names — all Muslim sounding — when they checked out their watercraft. He said their prayer prior to driving to the Jet Ski rental parking lot was a very distinctive series of prostrations and bows.

The vandalism occurred at Jet Skis Ahoy, 1230 W. Woodin Ave., sometime before 8:18 p.m., when they reported it.

Photo provided by Ahmed Brown

Ahmed Brown, a University of Washington student, was with a group of Muslims in Chelan on Sept. 1 when their rental car was vandalized with racial slurs. Brown spoke about the incident at a news conference last week held by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Seattle.

Brown said they also prayed in the Jet Ski rental parking lot after reporting the incident to police, he said.

The malicious mischief could be classified as a hate crime, said John Wisemore, Chelan County Sheriff’s chief of operations, but added, “This was more of a malicious harassment, more than a hate crime.”

Brown said many Muslims worry about further harassment, so they don’t want to talk about their experiences with hate crimes. “I just felt the need to take a stand and to say very clearly that we’re not going to be afraid or intimidated by things like this.”

He said he hopes those who committed the vandalism will take the time to get to know a Muslim. “I think it’s hard to harbor hate when you know we’re normal Americans. We have the same goals and the same ambitions. ... I would say get to know some, so you can see that we’re not all that different from you.”

K.C. Mehaffey: 997-2512

mehaffey@wenatcheeworld.com

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Farmteam 8 months, 1 week ago

No one supports vandalism towards anyone. But to constantly use the "hate crime" card when it amounts to malicious harassment is lessening its meaning when a real hate crime occurs.

Real hate crimes would include embassy walls being breached and flags burned or an American ambassador being killed and dragged through the streets by an anti-American mob.

Calling CAIR a civil rights group is comical given the fact the Dept. of Justice has charged it as "unindicted co-conspirator" in Hamas funding case.

Rocci 8 months, 1 week ago

I am a disappointed, but not surprised, that Deputy Wisemore and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office are minimizing this incident by calling, what is clearly a hate crime, malicious mischief. Every time we under react to these kinds of ignorant, senseless violence we encourage more of the same.

barleywine 8 months, 1 week ago

This is indeed a hate crime, and it should be taken very seriously. There is no place for this kind of behavior anywhere in America, and that includes Chelan County. Targeting anyone because of their race or religion is contrary to everything this country stands for, and those cowardly individuals who did this, if caught, should face the full force of the law.

mizmaus 8 months, 1 week ago

According to the law, this certainly is a "hate crime"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime How dare anyone be offended by a group of people standing quietly together, praying as ever they wish! The last time I checked, this was America which guaranteed the FREE chioce and practice of religion.

KatyDid 8 months, 1 week ago

Of course this is a hate crime, and yes Alan, we react because this has happened in Chelan County, but as you noted, this behavior should be universally condemned. Everyday I read the news and see new reports of hatred and intolerance and I find it incredibly sad and frankly, exhausting. It is so hard for me to understand the senselessness... When these perpetrators are found, they will no doubt, support their actions with ideology when the truth is, their actions were led solely by ignorance and fear.

firedog 8 months, 1 week ago

There is no legitimate ideology to support such actions, and yes, by all legal statutes, this is a hate crime and by trying to downplay it by deflecting to refrences of the termoil in the middle east while saying "..no one supports vanalism" is as lame as the " some of my best friends are" argument. We, unfortunately, live in an area where the primary political philosophy is cultivating people to look down on.