Persian-On-Arab Hate Crime At Newport Beach Starbucks

This interesting item came over the transom earlier from the OC District Attorney's office. Not the scenario that would typically come to mind regarding a hate crime case:

PERSIAN MAN CONVICTED OF HATE CRIME FOR ATTACKING ARAB MAN AT STARBUCKS

NEWPORT BEACH - A Persian man was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted today of attacking an Arab man in Starbucks on charges of committing a hate crime. Anthony Tabarsi, 41, pleaded guilty to the court to one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon with a hate crime enhancement and one misdemeanor count of resisting an officer.

On April 16, 2007, Tabarsi walked into the Starbucks at 2701 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. The victim and two of his friends were sitting at a table speaking Arabic. As Tabarsi walked past, he began mocking the men by making fun of their language, using expletives to tell them he hates Arabs, and that he thought that all Arabs are terrorists. After using the restroom, the defendant approached the victim and his friends again, called them names, and challenged them to a fight.  The victim, 25, followed the defendant outside, and Tabarsi pulled a folding knife from his pocket, opened the blade, and swung it at the victim.  The victim's friend stepped in to protect him from the assault, and the defendant fled through the parking lot.

Witnesses called the Costa Mesa Police Department, and officers at a nearby location on an unrelated call immediately responded. The officers instructed Tabarsi to stop and remove his hands from his pocket, but Tabarsi refused to comply with the police.

Deputy District Attorney Scott Steiner of the Felony Projects Unit prosecuted this case.

I think the OC Human Relations Commission should immediately find some Arabs and Persians, throw them together in a Living Room Conversation and force them to confront their prejudices.

Comments

[Bryan]

I'm still not a fan of hate crime laws. Borderline thought police...

[Long-time Politico]

Bryan touches on a serious issue. The good folks over at the OCHRC are secular humanists who believe fervently in the perfectability of man. If we only pass another law, get a few more regulations, or raise another tax we can gain the leverage to perfect the lesser lights among us. If only . . .

[Jubal's Persian buddy]

At first when I heard about it, I chuckled. My Arab friends and I tease each other from time to time and joke around with the long rooted stereotypes we have about each other’s community (I think the hate stems way before Islam came about). And a good portion of Persian jokes make fun of Arabs. But to those of us who’ve grown up here, that’s all it is… a joke and lame stereotypes perpetuated by ignorant people.

Then I read the details and finding out that it was a 41 year old man, I felt sorry for him. Yes, these two communities haven’t gotten along in centuries (9-11 and the harassment of the Persian community that followed afterward didn’t help). Its one thing if 2 college age students got into a fight over this (yelling, name calling, etc), but a grown man pulling a knife on someone… that’s just plain tragic.

Trust me, this is not a common occurrence between Persians and Arabs. There’s something seriously wrong with this man to have pulled a knife on someone, especially someone practically ½ his age.

[Patricia]

He didn't stab him, and he got 9 years?! Too long, IMO. Maybe that's one reason we have to release dangerous prisons early.

[aria ghafari]

wow jubal! persians and arabs aren't the same? who wudda thunk it?

[Jubal]

Did anyone say they were, Aria?