The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) recently helped to alleviate one of the most burdensome moments of American history. Back in May of 2017, three men were stabbed for their acts of kindness in defending teenagers on a Portland light-rail.
Jeremy Joseph Christian, a 35-year-old convicted felon. is accused of fatally knifing three men who were trying to protect two African-American girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab, on a Portland light-rail train. Christian shouted ethnic and religious slurs at the two young women, the Portland Police Department said in a statement.
The three men that intervened were stabbed by Christian. Ricky John Best, 53, died at the scene, while Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, died at a hospital, police said. Micah David-Cole Fletcher of 21, who was another victim, remained in a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The relatives of the victims were welcomed to the 9th annual scholarship dinner of the NYPD’s Muslim Officers Society at Terrace on the Park in Corona, Queens. During this dinner, the APPAC handed over $13,000 to the families of the Portland victims that was raised by the committee.
We must respond to hate with love, to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action.
No amount of money will bring back the victims, but American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) does hope to lessen their burden in some way and show heartfelt appreciation for their heroic acts against Islamophobia and bigotry.
APPAC condemns all forms of violence, hate crimes and bias attacks regardless of the religion, ethnic origin, language and place of residence of the perpetrators. We call on all members of our constituent communities to take note of, document and report to us such instances of hate crimes, bias attacks and individual cases of discrimination. History proves that the easiest position to take in such instances – staying indifferent and uninvolved is often the worst course of action or inaction we can take as a humanity.
The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) recently helped to alleviate one of the most burdensome moments of American history. Back in May of 2017,
The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) recently helped to alleviate one of the most burdensome moments of American history. Back in May of 2017,
The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) recently helped to alleviate one of the most burdensome moments of American history. Back in May of 2017,
The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) recently helped to alleviate one of the most burdensome moments of American history. Back in May of 2017,