Houston, Texas – Three students at Paul Revere Middle School in Houston have recently become victims of a violent attack, believed to be rooted in Islamophobia. The incident involved three hijabi Afghan girls who were assaulted by a group of around 20 fellow students, causing one of the girls to be hospitalized for four days due to the severity of the beating she endured.
According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the attack targeted the girls based on their ethnicity and the fact that they wore Islamic headscarves (hijabs). The families of the victims have expressed concerns that the attack was fueled by mistaken identity or middle school drama, rather than any legitimate cause.
Despite the alarming nature of the incident, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) has disputed some of the details provided by CAIR and the families of the attacked students. The district’s spokesperson claimed that the assault was not a case of mistaken identity, but rather stemmed from an underlying conflict with the group of students who targeted the victims.
CAIR has released a video showing a large group of students attacking the Afghan girls, further highlighting the severity of the situation. HISD’s response to the incident has been met with criticism, as they have refuted claims of multiple victims and insisted that only one girl was targeted and sent to the hospital.
In a report from a local news station, KPRC 2 Houston, two of the victims and a parent shared their accounts of the attack. The girls described how they were forcibly stripped of their hijabs and physically assaulted by the group of students.
The lack of acknowledgment of Islamophobia and racial bias in the attack by HISD has raised concerns about the safety of Muslim students in the district. CAIR has called for immediate action to ensure the safety of the victims, hold the perpetrators accountable, and send a clear message that violence and discrimination will not be tolerated in schools. The district’s dismissive approach towards the incident highlights the need for more comprehensive measures to address such acts of intolerance.