Texas: Muslim Doctor Stabbed to Death, Attacker Arrested

WASHINGTON, DC (IQNA) – A man has been charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed a Muslim woman to death while she was sitting outside her apartment in Texas.

Dr. Talat Jehan Khan, a 52-year-old pediatrician, was attacked by Miles Joseph Fridrich, 24, at a picnic table in the common area of her apartment complex in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday afternoon, according to the police.

Several witnesses heard Khan scream and rushed to help her. One of them, Matthew Amador, confronted Fridrich with a sword, while others came out with guns. Fridrich then ran away, but was soon caught by the police on the east side of the complex.

Amador told the police that Fridrich had checked Khan's pulse and then stabbed her three more times. Khan was pronounced dead at the scene by the emergency responders.

Fridrich is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $500,000 bond. The police have not revealed a motive for the stabbing.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Houston said it was investigating Khan's death as a possible hate crime. "We are unsure at this moment if this was a hate crime; however, given the tragic circumstances, we are paying very close attention to the investigation," it said in a statement.

"We will continue to monitor the situation while we launch our own investigation and continue to establish dialogue with law enforcement."

Khan had moved from Seattle to the Houston area just a few months ago, her family members told KHOU11. She is survived by a daughter and a son.

The attack comes amid an increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US following a deadly war between Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the Israeli regime. The war started after Hamas launched a surprise offensive against Israeli-occupied territories on October 7, killing some 1,400 Israeli soldiers and settlers. In response, Israel has been pounding the besieged strip for the past 23 days, killing more than 8,000 Palestinians, mostly children.

Earlier this month, a six-year-old Palestinian boy was murdered in cold blood by his landlord in the United States. Police in southwestern Chicago charged 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba with murder and hate crime on Monday for fatally stabbing Wadea al-Fayoume, and seriously wounding his 32-year-old mother.

Czuba, the landlord, entered the apartment and stabbed the little boy 26 times.

Source: Agencies