CAIR Welcomes Arrest in Shooting of Ohio Muslim

July 7, 2008

Author: Staff Writer

Source: CAIR Press Release

http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=777&&ArticleID=25107&&name=n&&currPage=1

The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today welcomed an arrest in the shooting of an Ohio Muslim who was critically wounded.

On June 20, a Muslim business owner was shot in the abdomen while pumping gas after work in Cleveland. Just prior to the shooting, the man and his son were allegedly taunted by a group of men after they heard the father and son speak to each other in their native Uzbek language and heard the father utter an Islamic prayer in Arabic. The group of men reportedly imitated the languages in a mocking manner. The shooting was caught on a surveillance camera.

Police have now charged William "Happy" Neal in the shooting. The FBI is investigating the possibility that the shooting could be a hate crime.