Muslims thankful for support after rant and deadly attack

PORTLAND, Ore. — Muslims in Portland, Ore., thanked the community for its support and said they were raising money for the families of two men who were killed when they came to the defense of two young women — one wearing a hijab — who were targeted by an anti-Muslim rant.

“I am very thankful as a Muslim, I am very thankful as a Portlander ... that we stand together here as one,” Muhammad A. Najieb, an imam at the Muslim Community Center, said Saturday.

The two young women “could have been the victims, but three heroes jumped in and supported them,” he said.

A fundraising page launched by his group for the families of the dead men, a surviving victim and the two young women had raised $50,000 in its first hours, Mr. Najieb said.

Police said they’ll examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of suspect Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, who is accused of killing the two men Friday. Mr. Christian’s social media postings indicate an affinity for Nazis and political violence.

The attack occurred on a light-rail train on the first day of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims.

Mr. Christian was being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arrested a short time after the attack when he was confronted by other men.

One of the victims of the hate speech is sending her thanks to those who came to her defense, according to KPTV.

Destinee Mangum, 16, told the station on Saturday that she and her 17-year-old friend were riding the train when Mr. Christian approached them yelling what is described as hate speech. She said her friend is Muslim, but she’s not.

“He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia, and he told us we shouldn’t be here, to get out of his country,” Destinee said.

The girls were scared and moved to the back of the train while a stranger jumped in to help.

“Me and my friend were going to get off the MAX and then we turned around while they were fighting and he just started stabbing people and it was just blood everywhere and we just started running for our lives,” Destinee said.

Mr. Christian will make his first court appearance in the case Tuesday.