Muslim Advocates Urges President Obama and Attorney General Holder to Address Chapel Hill Murders

We are deeply saddened to learn that three bright young American Muslim students were brutally murdered, execution style, last night in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Muslim Advocates extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific tragedy. While the investigation continues regarding the motivation of the killer, the facts thus far suggest that this attack was a hate crime.

As the facts continue to unfold, Muslim Advocates urges both President Obama and U.S. Attorney General Holder to directly and forcefully publicly condemn this heinous attack and remind the public that these acts have no place in civil society.

Furthermore, Muslim Advocates urges Attorney General Holder to open a full and rigorous federal hate crime investigation and hold a press conference announcing the investigation into this attack. This would be the first time an Attorney General has held a press conference to announce an investigation of a potential hate crime against members of the American Muslim community in the last ten years.

As countless American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim worry about their safety and future, our nation needs to hear a strong message: anyone who engages in violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.