Washington doctor’s stabbing death sparks fear in Muslim community

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — The brutal stabbing death of a Muslim pediatrician from our region is sparking concern and fear in the Muslim community in and around Seattle.

Dr. Talat Khan hailed from our region but was killed in Texas.

It was Oct. 28 when Dr. Khan was at a picnic table in the Houston area when she was stabbed to death by a stranger.

Even though the crime happened very far from Mountlake Terrace, the death and the potential that it was a hate crime were on the minds of devotees of the Umar Al-Farooq mosque.

It came just days before two top Biden administration officials sounded the alarm on growing threats to Jewish, Muslim and Arab-American communities.

People were up bright and early at the mosque on Thursday morning for the first prayers of the day.

Amer Mohammed sits on the board of the mosque, and spoke to KIRO 7 after leaving the 6:30 prayer session. He echoed what many in the community are feeling related to Dr. Khan’s death.

“It’s very sad and everybody was shocking [sic],” said Mohammed.

Sultan Khali also spoke on the issue, and said he knew the Khan family.

“My reaction is extreme shock, extreme sadness, it’s terrifying to know that people out there can commit such a crime, such a heinous crime like this just based on somebody’s race or religion,” said Khali.

Thursday morning’s first prayers came only hours before a prayer service that was slated to happen in the afternoon for Dr. Khan.

Khali expressed that the community is reeling from the possibility that hate is to blame for the crime.

“There’s always concern because with the climate that’s going on with the world today, with all this war and Muslims being targeted, people of oppressed communities being targeted, it’s always a concern for us,” said Khali.

Mohammed also stressed that the community did not lose just a woman or doctor.

“We feel like we lost a daughter, sister, and mother at the same time. Of course, people are very scared about it. We are always trying to talk to our daughters, especially women and children, be careful,” he said.

He believes the community will indeed rally around Dr. Khan’s family. He also hopes authorities will protect the mosque and its community as it holds prayers.

“I am expecting a lot of people will show up today,” said Mohammed.

Khali admitted that the thoughts and prayers are coupled with caution and concern after Dr. Khan’s death.

“We believe in the human spirit and we know there’s a lot of great people who are also looking out for us as well,” he said.

Bias crimes have increased since Israel started a war with Hamas in Gaza, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“Our most immediate concern is that violent extremists — individuals or small groups — will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives,” said Wray.

Wray also said lone wolves have targeted those groups since Oct. 7.

“We’ve already seen that with the individual we arrested last week in Houston, who’d been studying how to build bombs and posted online about his support for killing Jews. And with the tragic killing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois, and what we’re investigating as a federal hate crime,” Wray said.

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