[pjw] NEWS: Marine charged with hate crime in attack at Portland Iraqi restaurant | OregonLive 4/25

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi
I've been trying to wrap my mind around this story for the last few days, 
I'm glad to see the family reached out to veterans to see if the 
perpetrator could be helped. This is the ar coming home in a bad way, I 
guess one thing to take solace in is that the violence wasn't worse than 
it was.

By the way Dar Salam has two locations, the one on Alberta and one 
downtown, if you are interested in showing support.
dan h
peace and justice works iraq affinity group

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  http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/04/marine_suffering_from_ptsd_cha.html
Marine charged with hate crime in attack at Portland Iraqi restaurant
By Lizzy Acker | The   Oregonian/OregonLive The Oregonian
    on April 25, 2017 at 11:57 AM, updated April 25, 2017 at 5:33 PM

    Sergeant Major Damien T. Rodriguez, an active duty Marine who has
    deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan during his 20 years in the
    military, is charged with of harassment, disorderly conduct and
    intimidation in connection with a Friday incident at DarSalam, an Iraqi
    restaurant in Northeast Portland, KGW reports.

    One of those charges is a bias/hate crime in Oregon.

    According to security footage, as well as Ghaith Sahib, owner of
    DarSalam, two men spent almost an hour in the restaurant, refusing to
    order. Things escalated as the men began using racial slurs and
    profanity and then one of the men picked up a chair and allegedly
    assaulted a server.

    KGW said Rodriguez told officers he suffers from PTSD.

    "We were really sad about what happened," Sahib told KGW. "We feel
    sorry for the guy and we feel sorry for ourselves, too."

    Sahib came to the United States after surviving a car bomb in Baghdad
    in 2005. He met his wife, Tiffany Sahib, an American and native
    Oregonian, while he was working at a hostel in Amsterdam.

    In 2015, he told Vice that part of the mission of DarSalam, which means
    "House of Peace," is to teach people about Iraq, beyond the conflicts
    they may be aware of.

    "It's not just food. It's food and culture," Ghaith said. "We try to
    show the other part of Iraq. The peaceful part."

    In a post on Facebook, American Legion Post Commander and writer Sean
    Davis who works with Portland veterans, wrote that the Sahibs asked him
    to help Rodriguez.

    "Sadly, I think it's beyond that," he added. "Their hearts are so big."

    In a Facebook message Davis said of Rodriguez, "I hope something good
    comes out of it and he finds help, but people need to know that there
    are many other combat veterans out there doing good in their
    communities."

    "When something like this happens it adds to the stereotype that all
    veterans are damaged and crazy," added Davis. "That's not true."
    rodmarine.JPG Sergeant Major Damien T. RodriguezMarines

    Rodriguez was booked and released Saturday on three misdemeanor counts.
    Sgt. Pete Simpson of the Portland Police Bureau said over email
    Tuesday, "Rodriguez  was initially charged with Intimidation in the
    Second Degree, which is a bias/hate crime law in Oregon."

    Simpson said the second person is not a suspect and spoke to police at
    the scene.

    "The case is assigned to a Bias Crime detective for any needed
    follow-up requested by the District Attorney's Office," Simpson said.
    "Investigators are aware of his military service; however it has no
    bearing on the investigation or charges in this case."