FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2021
WASHINGTON D.C. — The Afghan Diaspora for Equality and Progress (ADEP) issued the following statement in response to an incident in Portland, Oregon:
Various media reports describe a troubling incident from January 22 involving a man named Brian Christopher Miller, who brutally attacked and assaulted an Afghan American man in a Portland convenience store, threatening to shoot him and calling him “Osama.” This incident greatly worries us and the larger Afghan diaspora. In a period of increased hostility and bigotry towards refugees, it is essential we take a stand as a community.
We condemn the right’s hateful rhetoric against all marginalized communities and stand with any victims of hate, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. It is not lost on us that even in the midst of a global pandemic which disproportionately affects immigrants, our community is still at risk of incidents of hate. While part of the right-wing’s hateful agenda was defeated at the ballot box last November, we call on our friends and allies to stay alert and to stand with us as our fight continues.
Portland police and the local district attorney’s office have charged Miller with three counts of first-degree bias crime, three counts of second-degree bias crime and one count each of first-degree burglary, second-degree burglary, second-degree disorderly conduct, second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal trespass, menacing, third-degree robbery and third-degree theft.
We will watch the case closely and urge the community and allies to remain vigilant.
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