Read a Pacific Northwest, liberal perspective on world, national, and local politics. From majestic Redmond, Washington - the Northwest Progressive Institute Official Blog.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

New information in Vancouver arson

Some readers may recall an arson fire last December in east Vancouver that involved the spray-painting of racial epithets. The public never did find out all that much about it, and it never was clear if it was an actual hate crime or if someone might have been attempting to conceal the real motive.

The public still doesn't know an awful lot, but since federal agents have arrested the brother of the restaurant owner it seems likely that something other than a random hate attack happened.
Federal agents took Ibrahim Jouzin, 30, into custody in Portland on Tuesday on a count of arson and for aiding and abetting arson, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle announced. He’s scheduled to appear in federal court in Portland Wednesday afternoon.

Jouzin, an Israeli, is the brother of Jimi Jouzine, whose restaurant, the Galilee Cafe in Fisher’s Landing, was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Dec. 5. After sprinklers doused the blaze, firefighters found the letters “KKK” painted throughout the kitchen and two murals in the dining room also defaced, one saying “Die Arab scum” and the other “Go to hell.” Two men were arrested nearby shortly after the fire broke out.
The article goes on to say that relationship between the brother and the two men arrested immediately after the fire broke out is not clear from court records.

It's been a strange case from the beginning.

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