Steven Holt: “My colleagues who were Members of this body some 10 years ago may recall my coming to the floor on behalf of my…”

“My colleagues who were Members of this body some 10 years ago may recall my coming to the floor on behalf of my constituents, the Hasan family of Milltown, New Jersey--Durre, Nida, Asna, Anum, and Iqra Hasan. They lost their husband and father, Waqar Hasan, on September 15, 2001, 4 days after the tragic events of September 11. That night, an angry man walked into Waqar's convenience store in Dallas, Texas. He ordered two hamburgers and shot the 46-year- old husband and father in the face. This was not a robbery gone awry. It was a deliberate act of hate based on Waqar's heritage and physical appearance. When asked by police why he shot Waqar, the shooter expressed no remorse. He said, ``I did what every American wanted to but didn't.'' When Waqar Hasan came to the United States from Pakistan in 1993, he did so in search of a better life for his family. After working in New Jersey, he took an opportunity to run a store in Texas and was going to bring his family to join him after he was established. The Hasans epitomized the hardworking, optimistic spirit that immigrants always brought to this country. They were on the path to permanent residency and, eventually, American citizenship when Waqar lost his life for no other reason than that he was a Muslim and that the murderer thought Waqar had a Middle Eastern face. It looked at that time as if Waqar's death ended the family's path to citizenship.…”