Palo Alto Human Relations Commission discusses Palo Alto hate crime

In an attempt to reach all the ethnic members of its community, the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission on 13th October, devoted the first part of their monthly meeting to discuss possible hate crimes in the area. The Commission felt that it was important to involve Palo Alto residents by talking about racially motivated incidents that they may have experienced or witnessed. This was in response to an episode on Sept 18, when three teenage boys shouted racial slurs and pushed the Afghani owner of a local Pizza parlor to the ground. Hamid Shahabi, owner of NY Pizza, said, “It was four in the afternoon when the three boys stopped in front of my restaurant and made gestures at me through the window. When I went out to ask them what the matter was they shouted at me and pushed me to the ground.” The boys ran away when a customer came out to help.

The police, who were invited to the meeting to give an update on the case, are still investigating the attack. “We thought we had identified two possible suspects,” said Sgt Costa of the PA police department, “ but the victim couldn’t identify them. The case is stale at the moment as there are no other leads. We have asked the neighbors to keep an eye out for the suspects.”
Though one of the teenagers was a customer who Shahabi hasn’t seen since, he still brushed aside the incident. “They were just ignorant kids who didn’t realize what they were doing. But we have had a lot of support since the attack. People have been leaving cards and flowers.” A sign at a nearby shop proclaiming that “This is a Hate free neighborhood,” bears testimony to his words.

According to Eve Agiewich, Chair PAHRC, it was fear of just such an attack that had led the commission to hold it’s meeting on Oct 13. “As a community we are concerned for everyone,” she said. “Our response to the backlash is important. We have to show our support.”

The PAHRC had also invited Dr David Sitzer from the Family and Children Services, a non-profit that provides community health services. “The Sept 11 attacks have affected all of us,” he said. “People are experiencing panic attacks. Hate crimes are just another form of releasing all the pent up tension.” He said that he had received increasing number of calls from patients experiencing emotional problems related to the World Trade Center bombing.

The NY Pizza case seems to be an isolated incident for neither the police nor the PAHRC have heard of any other such attacks. Since no one from the community came forward to report any other hate crimes, Agiewich concluded the session on a positive note, reiterating the need to show support to minorities in Palo Alto. “As no one else has come forward, we can we can conclude that no one else has been targeted,” she said.

Amir Khatibi, the Iranian-American owner of Café Renaissance of Palo Alto agreed. “We have had no problems here,” he said. “So far so good,” he added with a grin.