Mass Protests Planned for Adil Dghoughi in Texas Capital

Denver – The Austin, Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) stated Thursday it is planning to hold an interfaith prayer vigil and protest this weekend in honor of Adil Dghoughi.

Adil Dghoughi’s story has finally become noticed by media outlets around the world ten days after the 31-year old Moroccan was fatally shot in Martindale, Texas. Despite the failure of the Caldwell Sheriff’s Office to arrest shooter Terry Turner, the case has now been brought to global attention.

An outpouring of support from the global Moroccan community has combined with increased demands for justice from major civil rights groups.

The Washington D.C.-based CAIR group, the largest Islamic civil liberties organization in the US, announced its Austin chapter is planning on holding a memorial service and vigil outside the Austin, TX Capitol building at 6 P.M on Saturday, October 23rd.

“We hope this prayer vigil will offer some solace not only to the family members and friends of Adil in the wake of this tragedy but also to encourage law enforcement to properly investigate this case as it should have been,” stated CAIR-Austin Government Affairs Manager William White in CAIR’s official press release.

White went on to describe the Moroccan community as “understandably upset” during an interview with MWN. However, he maintained that the focus of the Moroccan community in Texas remained focused on “surrounding the Dghoughi family” with support during their fight for justice.

He also emphasized that both Dghoughi’s countrymen in Morocco and the expat community were expressing “understandable frustration” due to the lack of action by the Caldwell Sheriff’s Office, which has refused to answer questions from both media and activist groups.

CAIR intends to organize the upcoming vigil to offer solace to Adil’s family, and echo calls for law enforcement to properly handle the investigation of the shooting.

Dghoughi, a financial analyst and graduate from Johnson & Wales University, was gunned down in what many are labeling an “execution-style” shooting, after stopping in Martindale, Texas. Dghoughi’s relatives continue to wonder why 65-year old Terry Turner remains out of custody nearly two weeks after shooting the unarmed Moroccan.

Some are concerned Turner will attempt to use the controversial “Stand-Your-Ground” law as an excuse to justify the judicial killing. Since being initially introduced in Florida in 2005, the law has now been adopted by a majority of US states in some form, drastically shifting the narrative of self-defense cases in the US.

Reports from several groups indicate the law has led to a rise in firearms-related homicides in the states where it was implemented, due to a lowered standard in justifying escalation to lethal force. Research also points out the law has been used disproportionately to justify the murders of several unarmed people of color in the states that introduced stand-your-ground legislation.