Is Black on Arab Violence a Hate Crime?

Safe to say if there were white people involved here this would be national news and we'd be hearing ominous stories about a wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry sweeping the land. But I guess when you have two protected classes involved things get a bit dicey. Maybe Obama, Holder and their buddy Al Sharpton can visit Akron to help increase the peace.

For more than a week, the picket signs were gone and normalcy seemed to return to the corner store on Copley Road.

A dispute between residents in this predominantly black neighborhood in West Akron and the store's Arab-American owner appeared on its way to a peaceful resolution following a meeting the day after Thanksgiving.

A weekend later, however, dark smoke shadowed the detente as flames ripped Sunday morning through the food, sundries and clothing inside the Queen's Convenient Store.

In back of the brick store, the shop owner believes, the arsonist left a poorly spelled, but pointed message that everyone still understood: ''No Arab In Black Nieborhooh.''

News of the fire shocked both the store owner and the group that had picketed the store and called during much of November for a boycott by residents.

Those familiar with the dispute say the two sides had reached an accord Nov. 26 and planned to meet again on Friday.

The fire, which essentially gutted the business and merchandise, has strained the negotiations.

Mustafa Daoud, 40, has owned the store for more than seven years. He said the fire, and the appearance of bullet holes at another family-owned deli on Vernon Odom Boulevard, leaves him concerned for his safety and wondering whether he'll stay a part of the community.

''It's unsafe for us any longer,'' Daoud said. ''I do believe, as people say, enough is enough. . . .

Right now, I don't know what the future is.''

In the meantime, religious and black community leaders are calling for the FBI to join Akron police detectives and Akron fire arson investigators.

Oddly, the thugs from CAIR haven't commented on this.