Nov. 4 (UPI) — Stanford University police are investigating a spate of hate crimes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, including a hit-and-run involving a Muslim student on Friday, public safety officials said.
The university’s Protected Identity Harm reporting site shows five incidents involving race, ethnicity or religion since Oct. 15.
“Assault and harassment based on protected identities is antithetical to Stanford’s values and is a misdemeanor in the state of California. More specifically, Stanford considers anti-Arab and islamophobic acts to be abhorrent,” the school said.
The most recent incident, on Friday, involved an Arab Muslim student who was walking near campus. Police said the vehicle’s driver made eye contact with the victim, accelerated and hit the student. The injuries are not life threatening. The driver was described as “a white male in his mid-20s, with short dirty-blond hair and a short beard, wearing a gray shirt and round framed eyeglasses.”
President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez sent a message to students, condemning the actions.
“We are profoundly disturbed to hear this report of potentially hate-based physical violence on our campus. Violence on our campus is unacceptable. Hate-based violence is morally reprehensible, and we condemn it in the strongest terms. We want to express our deep concern for the student who was injured, and for all affected by this incident,” the statement read.
In another incident, on Oct. 28, a mezuzah belonging to an undergraduate Jewish student was removed from a door frame.
“This removal of a sacred religious symbol is deemed a form of intimidation targeting the Jewish community,” police said.