The deaths of four Muslim men in New Mexico sent ripples of fear through the Islamic community.
The last couple of weeks have seen three killings. The killings in New Mexico's largest city have law enforcement looking for a vehicle that may have been involved. Officials said the victims race and religion were common elements.
Over the past nine months, three other Muslim men have been killed. The homicides are being investigated to see if they are related.
It's not how you think that's ruining America.
In New Mexico, Muslims make up less than 1% of the population, but the killings have spread fear around the country.
The fact that the suspect is on the run is frightening. "Who is next?"
Almontaser said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab shared with her how frightened she was. She is scared. I'm afraid. Almontaser said he traveled alone.
The man was from Pakistan. His death came just days after the deaths of two other people from Pakistan in the same mosque.
The killing of a man from Afghanistan took place in November.
Aneela Abad is the general secretary of the Islamic Center of New Mexico.
She said that they were shocked and trying to comprehend what happened.
Four people were killed at the center, three of which were well-known in the community.
Some people have avoided going out unless absolutely necessary and some Muslim university students are wondering if it is safe to stay in the city. She said that the center has increased its security.
A dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen with dark tinted windows is suspected of being used in all four homicides, according to police. A $20,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of the car's driver.
The investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to believe the car was involved in the killings. Gilbert Gallegos, a police spokesman, said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips but did not elaborate.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said that the city has a strong link. We need to locate this vehicle.
He couldn't say if police knew how many people were involved in the violence or if a gun was used.
The president said that his administration stands with the Muslim community.
Biden said that the attacks have no place in the United States.
The discussion about safety has dominated the email groups that Almontaser is on.
Since the 9/11 attacks, the Muslim community in the U.S. has faced a lot of backlash and discrimination. It's scary.
According to FBI data, there have been few anti-Muslim hate crimes in Albuquerque over the last five years.
There was only one anti-Muslim hate crime over the course of the last three years. Six out of 25 hate crimes were recorded by Albuquerque police.
In a dozen cities and states, the national trends went from the lowest numbers in a decade in 2020 to an increase in 2021.
The cover of Time Magazine is about America being Islamophobic.
The Albuquerque authorities can't determine if the killings were hate crimes until they have a suspect and a motive.
A professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York said bias killings are usually committed by a small group of people. It's rare for a single person to commit a crime.
He said, "These are basically total winners by every aspect, whether it's social, economic, psychological, or what have you." They're filled with hatred for one reason or another and target a particular group that they see, in their minds, to blame for all their problems in life.
The victims were not sure if they knew their attacker or attackers.
Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric helps unite America against him.
Police were called to the scene of a shooting and found a dead person. The authorities wouldn't say if the killing was similar to the others.
The field organizers for the congresswoman's campaign were Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.
Melanie Stansbury praised him as one of the sweetest and hardest working people she has ever known. She said the urban Planner was committed to making public spaces work for everyone.
According to the mayor's office, Hussain worked to improve conditions and inclusivity for disadvantaged minorities as land use director for the city of Espaola.
Espaola's mayor said in a news release that the city staff has lost a member of their family.
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