Afghan man charged in killings of Muslims in New Mexico

[Gayle_Force]

There should have been no booing at the vigil but do you blame the crowd? Doug Ford has members in his party which have directly attacked Muslims and have worked with hate groups. I know we shouldn’t make this about politics but it’s pretty obvious it is the demonization of Muslims by certain politicians that resulted in this heinous attack.

I am pretty sure veltman didn’t just wake up one day and randomly chose to kill. Someone filled his head with hate and fear, he probably wanted to “take Canada back” like some politicians have been telling people to do. I am sorry if this is in bad taste for this thread but we can’t just ignore the likely reason for the attack.

It was pretty obvious that the booing had more to do with the Covid handling measures. Erin O’Toole also made a speech and was not booed at least from what I could hear.

On a side note, maybe the politics can be discussed in a separate thread? Just a suggestion

 

[saeedhk]

‘Why are Muslim women not allowed to hear hijabs in some countries? This is secular extremism. Everybody should be free to express themselves,’ PM Imran Khan to a Canadian news channel.

Can somebody tell our honorable PM that universities in KP have made wearing abayas mandatory for female students. Isn’t this against individual rights/ against freedom to express oneself?

IK is on a mission to outdo himself in hypocrisy.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Cmon man at least read my post, I said “one of the worst” not the worst.

Trudeau and others did make a statement on the residential school tragedy. The family in London died a few days ago so I guess attending their vigil was bit more of a priority but I am sure most politicians will meet up with First Nation leaders.

I am not denying that politics was a motive but it would have looked horrible if the PM just skipped the vigil which is being held for one of the worst attacks in the history of nation.

Sure kick Trudeau out but for who? O'toole or Bernier lol? Do you think they give a “toss” about others?

TBH Trudeau isn’t even my first choice either, I would vote for Jagmeet if my riding wasn’t a close race between the Libs and Cons.

Why would it looked horrible if PM skipped the vigil? Where was so called PM when a minor kid was brutally murdered by SYRIAN REFUGEE( he took guarantee in 2016 that he will be personally responsible for any crime committed by refugees in Canada) in BC? We didn’t see any such event, is it because criminal was one of his imports? Trudeau is just idiot in office who is destroying Canadian society.

As for turning an event into political was quite obvious if you can’t see it. Firstly, making exception for 1000s to gather without social distancing, when rest of Canadians had to sacrificed alot( not able to visit funeral, father not allowed at maternity ward to welcome his child, old seniors dying alone in LTC etc)
Do you not see injustice towards them? Only reason Doug Ford made it exception was to vow his voters(which are dwindling at lightning speed). This event should’ve done virtually with limited people in presence, which would have sent a better message while ensuring everyone’s safety. Booing was also politically motivated by brain dead liberal voters, who thought it was great idea to use an event like this to show their dissent towards Ford.

Do you still think this event was not political in nature?
This is my last post on this subject on this thread. Don’t want to derail it any further. If you want to discuss this, let’s open new thread.

 

[Markhor]

Facebook and Youtube are full of white supremacists and alt right loonies.

They need to be held accountable for spreading hate.

This. Stopping these attacks from happening again requires proper oversight and accountability of the social media sites - they are cesspits of hatred and disinformation.

It's easy for youngsters today to fall down a rabbithole of online extremist content, and it's not unsurprising if some of them are crazy enough to act on their warped views.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The family of Pakistani-origin victims of the deadly attack in Ontario, Canada expressed on Tuesday their gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistan High Commissioner to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar for their support at a time of great tragedy.

The family of late Salman Afzaal, in a press statement, said that they were humbled by the support the family had received during this difficult time.

“We are grateful to those who paid their respects to our loved ones in the days following the horrific event that took place on June 6 and to those who attended this Saturday’s funeral service,” the statement said.

"The light in this very dark time had been seeing people from across Canada and around the world united to condemn racism and hate. This has been a great comfort to us all,” the family statement said.

Today, the statement said, new terror charges were laid against the man who struck down the family.

The family also thanked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Leader of the Opposition Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ontario Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath, leaders of all major political parties and members of Parliament and the public who also provided support.

GEO

 

[Last Monetarist]

Pakistan-origin man stabbed, insulted over ‘beard and clothing’ in Canada

https://www.dawn.com/news/1632199/pakistan-origin-man-stabbed-insulted-over-beard-and-clothing-in-canada

Just weeks after a Pakistani family was murdered in Ontario, a Muslim migrant was attacked in a Canadian province with a knife by two unidentified assailants, local media reported.

In the city of Saskatoon in the Saskatchewan province, Pakistani national Muhammad Kashif was harassed and stabbed on Friday by two attackers.

Starphoenix daily reported that Kashif, 32, was assaulted while he was returning to his home in the evening, wearing traditional Muslim clothing.

He said the attackers stabbed him in the back as they shouted: “Why are you wearing this dress?” “Why are you here?” and “Go back to your country. I hate Muslims.”

They also shouted “And why do you have this beard?” before cutting off a part of Kashif’s beard. He was later stabbed in the arm and had to get 14 stitches.

“A third attacker might have been waiting for the first two in a nearby green car,” Kashif said. An investigation was launched into the assault.

Charlie Clark, the mayor of Saskatoon, said in a statement that he was “horrified and saddened” by the attack.

“Groups that are spreading white supremacy, Islamophobia and any other form of discrimination need to be investigated and held accountable,” he said.

“We must also confront individual acts of racism and discrimination,” he added.

Kashif, who emigrated from Pakistan to Canada 20 years ago, said he was concerned about the safety of his wife and three children, aged between 3 and 8.

The attack follows the June 6 incident in which four members of a Pakistani family in Ontario were run down by a truck in what police called “a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate.”

 

[daytrader]

4 murders in a row panic Muslims in New Mexico

WASHINGTON: Naeem Hussain was among thousands of mourners who gathered at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday afternoon for the funerals of two Muslims who were ambushed and shot to death in the city of Albuquerque this week. Hours later, he too was killed.

Naeem was killed on Friday night in the parking lot of the Lutheran Family Services, which provides social support to refugees settled in the state of New Mexico. He was an Afghan refugee who lived with his family in Peshawar and Islamabad before migrating to the US.

Muhammad Afzal Hussein, 27, was killed on Monday less than a block from his apartment near the University of New Mexico and Aftab Hussain, 41, was killed on July 26 in the city’s international district.

The first victim of this senseless violence was 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi, who was killed in November behind the halal market he and his brother owned.

Latest victim killed on Friday after attending Afzal Hussein’s funeral

Tahir Gauba, director public relations at the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM), told Dawn that the Albuquerque Police Department and the FBI briefed them on Thursday, “telling us that they believe all three deaths were connected.” This was before Naeem Hussain’s body was discovered.

Afzal, whose family migrated from Rawalpindi, was an architect, graduate of the University of New Mexico (UNM), and headed a group of UNM alumni.

“Afzal’s death really shook the community and also alarmed the local police,” Mr Gauba said.

“He was prominent in the community and was Director Planning at the nearby city of Española.”

It was Afzal who initiated the community’s liaison with the police, about six months ago and was helping the local congresswoman in her re-election campaign as well.

Aftab, who was killed on July 26, was also an Afghan refugee from Peshawar.

Albuquerque, a city of about half a million people, has only 3,000 Muslims “but apparently that irks someone and that’s why they are targeting us,” Mr Gauba said.

The Albuquerque Police Department said they were investigating a possible serial killer, because the last three murders happened within five miles of each other in the last nine months. “While we won’t go into why we think there’s a connection, there’s one strong commonality in all of our victims — their race and religion,” Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said.

“They also told us that there’s a strong possibility of a serial killer being involved in these murders,” Mr. Gauba said. “We have reached out to our senator, Martin Heinrich, to get more resources from the federal government.”

On the ICNM Facebook page, where the local mosque posted the video of the funeral prayer and dua, a local Muslim Nadina Barnes asked: “What safety plans are in place at ICNM?”

Imam Mahmoud Eldenawi urged the community not to panic. “All of us, not only Muslim, are shocked and saddened at the murders of three innocent people,” he said.

“The evil guy who committed this crime, doesn’t have any faith, sympathy, passion, mercy at all.”

Meanwhile, America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, based in Washington, D.C., announced a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Local media reports cited FBI statistics, showing religion-based hate crimes reached an historically high level in 2020 — the most recent year for which statistics are available. It said Muslims were the group that experienced the second-highest number of hate crimes across the country.

“It is abhorrent that anyone would be attacked simply because of who they are, and we express our deep concern and support to the Muslim community of New Mexico,” said Anti-Defamation League’s regional director Scott Levin.

DAWN

 

[SpiritOf1903]

4 murders in a row panic Muslims in New Mexico

WASHINGTON: Naeem Hussain was among thousands of mourners who gathered at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday afternoon for the funerals of two Muslims who were ambushed and shot to death in the city of Albuquerque this week. Hours later, he too was killed.

Naeem was killed on Friday night in the parking lot of the Lutheran Family Services, which provides social support to refugees settled in the state of New Mexico. He was an Afghan refugee who lived with his family in Peshawar and Islamabad before migrating to the US.

Muhammad Afzal Hussein, 27, was killed on Monday less than a block from his apartment near the University of New Mexico and Aftab Hussain, 41, was killed on July 26 in the city’s international district.

The first victim of this senseless violence was 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi, who was killed in November behind the halal market he and his brother owned.

Latest victim killed on Friday after attending Afzal Hussein’s funeral

Tahir Gauba, director public relations at the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM), told Dawn that the Albuquerque Police Department and the FBI briefed them on Thursday, “telling us that they believe all three deaths were connected.” This was before Naeem Hussain’s body was discovered.

Afzal, whose family migrated from Rawalpindi, was an architect, graduate of the University of New Mexico (UNM), and headed a group of UNM alumni.

“Afzal’s death really shook the community and also alarmed the local police,” Mr Gauba said.

“He was prominent in the community and was Director Planning at the nearby city of Española.”

It was Afzal who initiated the community’s liaison with the police, about six months ago and was helping the local congresswoman in her re-election campaign as well.

Aftab, who was killed on July 26, was also an Afghan refugee from Peshawar.

Albuquerque, a city of about half a million people, has only 3,000 Muslims “but apparently that irks someone and that’s why they are targeting us,” Mr Gauba said.

The Albuquerque Police Department said they were investigating a possible serial killer, because the last three murders happened within five miles of each other in the last nine months. “While we won’t go into why we think there’s a connection, there’s one strong commonality in all of our victims — their race and religion,” Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said.

“They also told us that there’s a strong possibility of a serial killer being involved in these murders,” Mr. Gauba said. “We have reached out to our senator, Martin Heinrich, to get more resources from the federal government.”

On the ICNM Facebook page, where the local mosque posted the video of the funeral prayer and dua, a local Muslim Nadina Barnes asked: “What safety plans are in place at ICNM?”

Imam Mahmoud Eldenawi urged the community not to panic. “All of us, not only Muslim, are shocked and saddened at the murders of three innocent people,” he said.

“The evil guy who committed this crime, doesn’t have any faith, sympathy, passion, mercy at all.”

Meanwhile, America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, based in Washington, D.C., announced a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Local media reports cited FBI statistics, showing religion-based hate crimes reached an historically high level in 2020 — the most recent year for which statistics are available. It said Muslims were the group that experienced the second-highest number of hate crimes across the country.

“It is abhorrent that anyone would be attacked simply because of who they are, and we express our deep concern and support to the Muslim community of New Mexico,” said Anti-Defamation League’s regional director Scott Levin.

DAWN

Deserves own thread?.

Considering location and demography, this is disturbing

 

[MenInG]

Joe Biden expresses solidarity with Muslims after 4 killed in US, including 2 Pakistanis

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community.<br><br>These hateful attacks have no place in America.</p>— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1556331838817374211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


US President Joe Biden on Sunday condemned the killing of four Muslims — two of them Pakistanis, in Albuquerque, a city in the southern state of New Mexico, in what local authorities are describing as targeted attacks.

In a Twitter post after news of the fourth death, Biden said he was angered and saddened by the killings, which rocked the tightly-knit community of 3,000 to 5,000 Muslims living in a city of over 500,000 people.

“While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” Biden said in a Twitter post.

“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.

The four, murdered within a span of a week, are Naeem Hussain and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain from Pakistan, while Aftab Hussein and Mohammad Ahmadi were Afghans.

Though the victims share a common surname, they were not related, Tahir Gauba, director of public affairs at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, was quoted as saying in media reports.

Police in New Mexico and federal agencies were probing the killings, the latest of which occurred on Friday evening, the reports said.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a Twitter post late on Saturday: “The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque are deeply angering and wholly intolerable.”

Albuquerque police officials told a news conference that they were following a number of leads and issued a bulletin with photos of a four-door, dark gray Volkswagen sedan with tinted windows that they described as a “vehicle of interest” in the investigation.

It was left unclear how the car was tied to the case and police said they had yet to determine whether they were seeking one or more suspects in the investigation.

“This tragedy is impacting not only the Muslim community – but all Americans,” the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.

“We must be united against hate and violence regardless of the race, faith or background of the victims or the perpetrators,” he maintained.

“We urge anyone with information about these crimes to come forward by contacting law enforcement,” Awad added while announcing an award of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Express Tribune

 

[MenInG]

Aug 7 (Reuters) - Police in New Mexico on Sunday asked for the public's help in locating a "vehicle of interest" in their probe of four fatal shootings of Muslim men whose slayings in Albuquerque over the past nine months are believed by investigators to be related.

Mayor Tim Keller said state authorities were working to provide an "extra police presence at mosques during times of prayer" as the investigation proceeds in New Mexico's largest city, home to as many as 5,000 Muslims out of some 565,000 total residents.

The latest victim, police said, was gunned down on Friday night, in a killing that local Islamic leaders said occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.

All three of those men, as well as the very first victim who was shot dead in November, were Muslim men of Pakistani or Afghan descent who resided in Albuquerque.

Police have given few details of the latest murder but described the first three killings as ambush shootings. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has characterized them as "targeted killings of Muslim residents."

U.S. President Joe Biden posted a message on Twitter on Sunday expressing solidarity with the Muslim community, adding, "These hateful attack have no place in America."

Albuquerque police officials told a news conference hours later that they were following a number of leads and issued a bulletin with photos of a four-door, dark gray Volkswagen sedan with tinted windows that they described as a "vehicle of interest" in the investigation.

It was left unclear how the car was tied to the case, and police said they had yet to determine whether they were seeking one or more suspects in the investigation.

The three latest victims belonged to the same mosque, according to Tahir Gauba, a spokesperson for the Islamic Center of New Mexico. Officials were withholding the identity of the man killed on Friday pending notification of next of kin.

But Gauba said he was killed shortly after attending the funeral for the two previous victims.

Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, a planning director for the city of Espanola who immigrated from Pakistan, was shot dead on Aug. 1 outside his apartment complex, less than a week after Aftab Hussein, 41, from Albuquerque's large Afghan community, was found slain on July 26 near the city's international district, police said. Hussain also worked on the campaign team for U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico.

Police said they were treating those two slayings, along with Friday's killing, as linked to the Nov. 7 murder of 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi, also a Muslim from Afghanistan, who was shot to death in a parking lot outside a halal supermarket and cafe.

"There are several things in common with all four of the homicides," city police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told reporters on Sunday.

Asked whether investigators consider the killings to be hate crimes, Gallegos said, "Hate is determined by motive, and we don't know that motive at this point."

Gauba estimated there are 3,000 to 5,000 Muslims living in and around Albuquerque, accounting for about 85% of the entire state's Islamic population.

New Mexico State Police, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are among the agencies assisting in the investigation.

 

[PakLFC]

Standard comment smacks of political correctness. He couldn't possibly condone the attack!

 

[MenInG]

So things getting worse for Muslims in the US?

 

[MenInG]

Police investigating the killing of four Muslim men in New Mexico have identified a car believed to have been used in all four homicides.

The vehicle detectives are looking for is a dark grey or silver Volkswagen saloon.

"We have a very, very strong link," Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. "We have a vehicle of interest … We have got to find this vehicle."

He added that state authorities are looking at providing an "extra police presence at mosques during times of
prayer".

The latest victim was gunned down in Albuquerque on Friday night.

Local Islamic leaders said he was killed not long after attending funeral services for two other victims who were killed in the last couple of weeks.

The fourth victim was targeted last November.

All four were Muslim men of Pakistani or Afghan descent who lived in Albuquerque.

The latest victim, who has not yet been named, is believed to have been in his mid-20s.

The two others killed recently were Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41.

Both were from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The man killed in November was 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for a local congresswoman's campaign.

Representative Melanie Stansbury, whose district includes most of Albuquerque, said Mr Hussain was "one of the kindest and hardest working people".

He was "committed to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution", she added.

City police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said there are "several things in common with all four of the homicides".

Asked whether investigators consider the killings to be hate crimes, Mr Gallegos added: "Hate is determined by motive, and we don't know that motive at this point."

However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has characterized the crimes as "targeted killings of Muslim residents".

"These hateful attacks have no place in America," President Joe Biden has said.

SKY

 

[dildilpak]

So things getting worse for Muslims in the US?

And the basis of your inference is … one incident in one city of one state of America?

 

[sweep_shot]

I think not enough is being done to stop far-right. There are still platforms where white supremacists openly talk about harming Muslims. Platforms like 4chan, 16chan etc. should be shut down.

 

[moghul]

Standard comment smacks of political correctness. He couldn't possibly condone the attack!

Don't be mad at an old man with advanced dementia.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Standard comment smacks of political correctness. He couldn't possibly condone the attack!

Didn't necessarily have to condemn it either

 

[sweep_shot]

They apparently got a lead. They are looking for information about a particular car.

Police said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides -- a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows. Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in the slayings. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips regarding the car but did not elaborate.

"We have a very, very strong link," Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. "We have a vehicle of interest ΓǪ We have got to find this vehicle."

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/albuquerque-police-seek-car-in-killings-of-4-muslim-men-1.6018375.

 

[daytrader]

‘Who is next?’ Fear spreads in US Muslim community amid killings
A string of killings in the US state of New Mexico have sent shockwaves through Muslim communities across the US.

A series of killings of Muslim men in New Mexico has sent a wave of fear through Muslim communities across the United States.

Authorities identified the fourth victim on Monday, and have not ruled out the possibility that the murders of several Muslim men in the city of Albuquerque could be linked.

Three of the killings happened in the last week, and authorities have said that the race and religion of the victims were common factors. “Investigators believe Friday’s murder may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men also from South Asia,” police said. Police have asked residents to help find a vehicle they believe is connected to the killings.

“I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque,” Biden said on Twitter on Sunday. “While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America.”

Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings have killed three other Muslim men in the last nine months. The murders have become a source of fear for Muslims throughout the US, who have faced racism, discrimination, and violence.

“The fact the suspect remains at large is terrifying,” Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, wrote on Twitter. “Who is next?!”

Hussain, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came shortly after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The earliest case took place in November and involved the killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, said the community was “completely shocked” by the killings, and Islamic community centres have increased security.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Muslim civil rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has said that Muslim communities in the US will respond to the killings with “vigilance, increased caution, resilience”.

CAIR has offered a $10,000 reward to the person who provides information to law enforcement leading to the arrest of the killer.

The same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides — a dark grey or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with tinted windows, according to police. Authorities released photos asking people to help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

“We have a very, very strong link,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. “We have a vehicle of interest … We have got to find this vehicle.”

The state’s governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement on August 6 that additional law enforcement resources were being made available for the investigation.

“We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers,” the statement said. “And we WILL find them.”

Lujan Grisham also offered support to the state’s Muslim community. “We will continue to do everything we can to support the Muslim community of Albuquerque and greater New Mexico during this difficult time,” she said. “You are New Mexicans, you are welcomed here, and we stand with you.”

Al Jazeera

 

[MenInG]

Police Chief Harold Medina on Tuesday announced the update on Twitter. The killings have sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities in New Mexico and beyond and fueled a race to find who was responsible.

“We tracked down the vehicle believed to be involved in a recent murder of a Muslim man in Albuquerque. The driver was detained and he is our primary suspect for the murders,” the tweet said.

No other information was immediately available. Police say they will provide an update on Tuesday afternoon.

Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, and the three other men died in ambush shootings.

Hussain, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

The earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Authorities on Monday sought help searching for a vehicle that appeared to be the one discovered on Tuesday. The common elements in the deaths were the victims’ race and religion, officials said, and police in Albuquerque are trying to determine if the deaths are linked.

Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering shared with her over the weekend just how rattled she was. “She’s like, ‘This is so terrifying. I’m so scared. I travel alone,’” Almontaser said.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community reeling from the killings, its grief compounded by confusion and fear of what may follow.

“We are just completely shocked and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why,” she said.

Some people have avoided going out unless “absolutely necessary,” and some Muslim university students have been wondering whether it is safe for them to stay in the city, she said. The center has also beefed up its security.

Police said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides — a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows. Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=b2e7239b09024d42a15ab3f0f62fc107

 

[ahsan17]

Turns out the suspect is... Wait for it, someone named Mohammed Syed. Moved from. Afghanistan not long ago.

Rumour has it his daughter married a Shia guy, and all the men that were killed were Shia. Hard not to notice the coincidence.

 

[sweep_shot]

Turns out the suspect is... Wait for it, someone named Mohammed Syed. Moved from. Afghanistan not long ago.

Rumour has it his daughter married a Shia guy, and all the men that were killed were Shia. Hard not to notice the coincidence.

Yeah. That was shocking. I didn't see that coming.

 

[daytrader]

Afghan man charged in killings of Muslims in New Mexico

The ambush killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shook the community but inspired a flood of information, including a tip that led to the arrest of a local Muslim man originally from Afghanistan who knew the victims, authorities said.

Muhammad Syed, 51, was arrested on Monday after a traffic stop more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from his home in Albuquerque. He was charged with killing two victims and was identified as the prime suspect in the other two slayings, authorities announced Tuesday.

The Muslim community is breathing “an incredible sigh of relief,” said Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico. “Lives have been turned upside down.”

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Syed had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

The first killing last November was followed by three more between July 26 and Aug. 5.

Police Chief Harold Medina said it was not clear yet whether the deaths should be classified as hate crimes or serial killings or both.

Syed was from Afghanistan and had lived in the United States for about five years, police said.

“The offender knew the victims to some extent, and an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings,” a police statement said, although investigators were still working to identify how they had crossed paths.

When asked specifically if Syed, a Sunni Muslim, was angry that his daughter married a Shiite Muslim, Deputy Police Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock did not respond directly. He said “motives are still being explored fully to understand what they are.”

Assed acknowledged that “there was a marriage,” but he cautioned against coming to any conclusions about the motivation of Syed, who occasionally attended the center’s mosque.

Police said Syed gave them a statement but didn’t disclose details.

The slayings drew the attention of President Joe Biden, who said such attacks “have no place in America.” They also sent a shudder through Muslim communities across the U.S. Some people questioned their safety and limited their movements.

“There is no justification for this evil. There is no justification to take an innocent life,“ Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations, said at a Tuesday news conference in Washington, D.C.

He called the killings “deranged behavior.“

The earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.

Naeem Hussain, a 25-year-old man from Pakistan, was killed Friday night. His death came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the same mosque.

Ehsan Chahalmi, the brother-in-law of Naeem Hussain, said he was “a generous, kind, giving, forgiving and loving soul that has been taken away from us forever.”

For now, Syed is charged in the killings of Aftab Hussein and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain because bullet casings found at the crime scenes were linked to a gun found at his home, authorities said.

Investigators consider Syed to be the primary suspect in the deaths of Naeem Hussain and Ahmadi but have not yet filed charges in those cases.

The announcement that the shootings appeared to be linked produced more than 200 tips, including one from the Muslim community that police credited with leading them to the Syed family.

Police said they were about to search Syed’s Albuquerque home on Monday when they saw him drive away in a Volkswagen Jetta that investigators believe was used in at least one of the slayings.

Officers followed him to Santa Rosa, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) east of Albuquerque, where they pulled him over. Multiple firearms were recovered from his home and car, police said.

Syed’s sons were questioned and released, according to authorities.

Prosecutors expect to file murder charges in state court and are considering adding a federal case, authorities said.

Shiites make up the second largest branch in Islam after Sunnis.

Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic center, said the two Muslim communities in New Mexico enjoy warm ties.

“Our Shiite community has always been there for us and we, Sunnis, have always been there for them,” she said.

Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s campaign.

“Muhammad was kind, hopeful, optimistic,” she said, describing him as a city planner “who believed in democracy and social change, and who believed that we could, in fact, build a brighter future for our communities and for our world.”

Toronto Star