Palestinian American targeted in West Campus stabbing, Islamic advocacy group says

Update: This story was updated at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7, to add that the Austin Police Department Hate Crime Review Committee found that a hate crime did occur and will send its findings to the Travis County district attorney's office.

Zacharia Doar was driving with friends to their evening prayer after a pro-Palestinian protest Sunday night in downtown Austin.

The 23-year-old Palestinian American had traveled from the Dallas area with his father, Nizar Doar, to join the protest. Nizar Doar headed back to their hometown afterward, while Zacharia Doar stayed in Austin with his friends.

As Nizar Doar was driving home, he got a horrifying call: His son had been stabbed in the chest.

“The first thing that came to my mind? ‘I’m going to lose my son,’” Nizar Doar said Tuesday.

The Sunday night stabbing outside a West Campus apartment complex was part of a surge of "anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate," according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is calling for the suspect to be charged with hate crimes.

The Austin Police Department said Wednesday that its Hate Crime Review Committee determined the stabbing constitutes a hate crime. The committee will send its findings to the Travis County district attorney's office, which will determine whether or not to file hate crime charges.

The district attorney's office "does not tolerate acts of hate in our community and is committed to holding people who commit these crimes accountable," according to a statement from spokesperson Ismael Martinez sent Tuesday.

In a statement, the advocacy group said that Bert James Baker, 36, attacked four young Muslim American men, stabbing one of them. In addition to Zacharia Doar, two of the men are of Palestinian descent. Neither Baker nor the victims are affiliated with the University of Texas, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by the UT Police Department.

Baker, according to the CAIR statement, “allegedly attempted to rip a flagpole with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf reading ‘Free Palestine’ off of their car,” “repeatedly screamed” racial slurs at the men, removed an individual from the car and attacked him, and stabbed Zacharia Doar in the chest, breaking his rib.

Baker was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to Travis County inmate records. The incident, which occurred at 26th and Nueces streets at a complex housing UT students, was not publicly reported until about 7:30 a.m. Monday.

Advocates and family members of the victim said this violence is connected to a larger pattern of hate crimes against Palestinian Americans. CAIR Texas is calling for federal law enforcement to open a hate crime investigation.

A 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois died from stab wounds in an October attack the U.S. Justice Department is investigating as a hate crime. Three Palestinian college students were shot and injured in Burlington, Vermont, over Thanksgiving break. And, in the first month of the Israel-Hamas war, violence and threats against Muslim Americans spiked to “unprecedented” levels, CAIR said in November.

Zacharia Doar's mother, Odi Doar, said that while he recovers from his wounds, he won't be able to work or carry his 5-month-old baby for six weeks.

“The guy that did this out of hate — it’s ruining people's lives,” she told the American-Statesman.

Affidavit describes attack against Zacharia Doar

A copy of Baker's probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by the Statesman states that Hasher Gouhar, Tawfiq Sadi, Hamzah Al-Sahili and Zacharia Doar were driving through West Campus at about 7 p.m. when one of them felt the tailgate of their truck had been opened.

Al-Sahili told police that Baker, who was on a bicycle, opened the truck's rear and front passenger doors. Baker then placed his bike in front of the truck and began yelling racial slurs at the group, the affidavit states.

According to CAIR, Baker also tried to remove a flagpole with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf that read "Free Palestine" off their vehicle. The flagpole had been placed on the truck for the pro-Palestinian rally Sunday at the Capitol.

The group got out of the vehicle, and when they approached Baker, he punched Zacharia Doar in the shoulders, the affidavit said. A fight ensued, with Baker being knocked down multiple times. Eventually, he got back up and pulled out a knife, the affidavit said.

Al-Sahili began yelling, "He has a knife!" and, when he turned around, saw Baker running after them, the affidavit said. Al-Sahili told police he saw Zacharia Doar bleeding from his right rib.

Despite his injury, the affidavit states, he wrestled Baker to the ground and struck the knife out of the attacker's hand.

During an interview with police, the affidavit states, Baker told police he was an alcoholic and had drunk more that day than usual. He told police he was unsure why he was there and at one point asked the police where his knife was.

A public police report from the UT Police Department did not have any bias listed under “suspected hate/bias motivation.” The Statesman has requested the full report but had not received it as of Tuesday afternoon.

Advocates, parents of stabbing victim speak publicly on attack

Nizar Doar said his son has undergone successful surgery and is recovering.

At a Tuesday news conference in front of Austin City Hall, Nizar and Odi Doar, interfaith leaders, and officials from CAIR Texas, the Austin for Palestine Coalition and Jewish Voices for Peace said local, state and federal elected officials were at fault for creating the climate of hate by not calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war or properly protecting Palestinian Americans.

Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, the Austin City Council member representing District 9, which includes West Campus, said he has been in frequent communication with interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson and that his heart breaks for the family affected and all those afraid. He said he had visited Zacharia Doar in the hospital and is inspired by his bravery.

“It’s important for us, whether it be local leaders … and all of our leaders all the way to the top to speak against hate in all its forms," Qadri said.

Zainab Haider, a community organizer for the Austin for Palestine Coalition, said the Austin Muslim community is horrified by this crime and by the silence of local officials, including Mayor Kirk Watson, in regard to the deaths in Gaza.

“Our city officials have created a climate of fear. Many of them have been silent on Palestine,” Haider said. “How long will our community be afraid? And when will our mayor and City Council do the right thing and bring the community together?”

Watson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Odi Doar, who is not Palestinian but said she has worn a hijab for 10 years, is a hiker and a walker. But she doesn’t do any of that anymore, she said. She doesn’t feel safe.

“I feel looked at," she said. "I feel targeted because of the hate that is going on, and it needs to stop.”

Nizar Doar told the Statesman that elected officials must listen to their constituents and call for a cease-fire.

“We elected you,” he said. “And we ask you to take action immediately. And if you don’t do so, we can empower everybody in Austin to remove you out of Austin.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: West Campus stabbing was a hate crime, Islamic advocacy group says