Why Did He Do It? :: essays research papers fc

What would you do, or how would you feel, if a man of middle-eastern descent came up to you telling you that he had been a victim of a hate crime where he was attacked from behind, beaten and pelted with eggs while his assailants uttered racial epithets, but later was notified that it was all a lie, a hoax? Well, there was a person that had to deal with this dilemma. Arizona State University junior Ahmad Sadd Nasim performed this gruesome act, and now the Maricopa Attorney's Office, and the ASU disciplinary department, must decide whether or not to press charges on this act of pusillanimity. It is believed by many that Nasim should face charges in order to allow true victims of hate crimes to come forward without shame, prevent a rise in hate crimes, and also prevent further acts of this nature. In order to allow the victims of true hate crimes to identify themselves without fear of not being heard, or believed, Ahmad Saad Nasim should be prosecuted. If he is not prosecuted, the victims of future hate crimes may not choose to come forward. Furthermore, these victims would find it nothing more than a waste of their time if they tried to report the perpetrators. Senior Vikesh Desai said," the lie hurts victims of genuine hate crimes." He continues, "It's like the boy who cried wolf. Now if another person is attacked in a hate crime, more people are going to question it. People are going to be afraid to speak up because they'll think that people won't believe them." (Chiu 1). However, if Nasim is prosecuted, and convicted, this type of situation would not be a problem. Consequently, the number of hate crimes committed will decline. The chance of an increase in the number of hate crimes committed relies partially on whether or not the Maricopa County Attorney's Office decides to press charges on Nasim. The number of performed hate crimes could rise if Nasim is not prosecuted for his wrong-doings. People that are prejudiced against Middle-Eastern immigrants, especially in light of previous events (WTC & Pentagon attacks), might find this as "open season" on committing hate crimes. Figuring that if the victims went to authorities they would not be believed anyway, they would be fearless. "... people weren't taking hate crimes seriously..." said Desai (Chiu 2). Therefore, the chances of them being caught are slim to none.