President Biden condemns killings of four Muslims in New Mexico
President Joe Biden has on Sunday condemned the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico.
The president eulogised on twitter: “I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque,”
“While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America.” he added
The Albuquerque Police in New Mexico confirmed Saturday that investigation into the murders of three Muslim men is in action, adding that they suspect it is linked to fourth homicide from 2021.
The police department also said in a statement they had found the latest victim overnight on Friday, The Guardian reports.
KOB4 TV reports his body was found near a Lutheran Family Services office that provides relief for refugees.
However, the Police identified the man a native of south Asia in his mid-20s and also a Muslim.
“Investigators believe Friday’s murder may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men also from South Asia,” the statement partly read.
The police added that two of the previous victims were Muslim Pakistani men, a 27-year-old whose body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old who was found on July 26.
Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are related to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021, outside of the business he ran with his brother in Albuquerque, the statement said.
The police encouraged anyone with information to call a tip line and assist the FBI with the investigation.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham conveyed fury at the killings, saying they are “wholly intolerable,”. The governor confirmed she was delivering extra state police officers to Albuquerque to assist in the investigation.
“We will continue to do everything we can to support the Muslim community of Albuquerque and greater New Mexico,” she assured.
The killings have ignited anxieties in the city’s Muslim community and people are beginning to panic, Tahir Gauba director of public affairs with the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told the Albuquerque Journal.
Moreover, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest US Muslim civil rights group, has proposed a $10,000 reward to whoever procures information leading to the killer or killers’ arrest.
