Austin police call stabbing of Palestinian American 'bias-motivated'

Austin police call stabbing of Palestinian American ‘bias-motivated’

Reports Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian acts surged after Oct. 7
Austin Police said stabbing of Palestinian man, 23, was 'bias-motivated'
Suspect arrested, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Updated: Feb 7, 2024 / 02:33 PM CST

Police car with flashing lights on at night (Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — The stabbing of a 23-year-old Palestinian American in Texas is being reviewed by the Austin Police Department’s Hate Crimes Review Committee.

Bert James Baker (Austin Police Department)

NewsNation local affiliate KXAN reported the victim, identified as Zacharia Doar, was hospitalized with stab wounds and a broken rib and is now recovering.

Bert James Baker, 36, was arrested Sunday night and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Niza Doar, Zacharia’s father, said his son, from Arlington, had been in Austin for a demonstration Sunday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Around 7 p.m. on Feb. 4, Zacharia Doar and three other Muslim-American friends who attended the protest were driving home when Baker, who was on a bicycle, allegedly attempted to rip a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf that said “Free Palestine” off their car, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Baker allegedly started screaming the n-word and “other obscenities,” opened the passenger door, pulled someone out of the car and physically attacked him, CAIR said.

The three others in the car then exited the vehicle and fought Baker off. After being subdued, Baker then allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the young men in the chest.

CAIR writes that the victim subdued the man before police arrived on scene.

At the press conference, Niza Doar recalled what it was like after Zacharia was stabbed.

“The first thing came to my mind is I’m going to lose my son,” Nizar Doar said. “My son was yelling and screaming at four o’clock in the morning. And I couldn’t do anything about except call nurses, saying, ‘Please help him. Please help my son.’”

Austin Police called what happened a “bias-motivated incident” on Facebook. Once the Hate Crimes Review Committee goes over the details of the case, the information will be given to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, which will make the decision on whether to enhance the offense.

“Our hearts continue to break for the victim of this senseless attack and their family. The Travis County District Attorney’s office does not tolerate acts of hate in our community and is committed to holding people who commit these crimes accountable,” a spokesperson for the DA’s office said in a statement to NewsNation. “Our office has already contacted the Austin Police Department to staff this case. We look forward to receiving their investigation of Sunday’s incident, which we will review.”

CAIR is urging hate crimes charges to be filed against Baker. Richard Gentry, the attorney appointed by the court to represent Baker, said in an email he had no comment.

“The entire Austin Muslim community stands in solidarity with these young members of our community, who appear to be the latest victims of a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate across our nation,” CAIR-Austin Board Chair Fayyaz Shah said in a statement.

Reports of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian acts have risen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell noted that new civil rights data from the organization show that it received 3,578 complaints from October to December 2023, a 178% increase compared to the same time period in previous years.

“From the murder of six-year-old Wadea outside Chicago to the shooting of three college students in Burlington, Vermont, far too many incidents of violence against Muslims, Palestinians and others who support Palestinian human rights have occurred over the past several months,” Mitchell said. “Those responsible for this violence must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and those fomenting the hate that leads to this violence must be condemned.”

Had President Joe Biden, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and other leaders called for a ceasefire in Gaza, this would not have happened, Nizar Doar said.

“This hate that’s going around needs to stop. If y’all took action three months ago, nobody would have been hurt,” he said.“This has come to haunt us in our homeland. It’s come to haunt us in the US. It’s come to haunt us in Texas. This is not acceptable. And I beg you to call an end for this madness.”

Neither Zacharia Doar nor Baker are affiliated with the University of Austin, Texas, police said. Still, since it happened near campus, the institution’s Palestinian Solidarity Committee put out a statement saying they were “horrified” to see acts of hate “escalate into our own backyard.”