CAIR-NY Asks FBI to Join Probe of Hate Attack on Muslim Woman in New York
(NEW YORK, NY, 7/15/2015) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on the FBI to join the investigation of what the New York City Police Department (NYPD) says was a bias-motivated attack on a Muslim woman.
Police say the 19-year-old woman was assaulted late Saturday by a man who yelled anti-Muslim insults at her, spit on her and fractured her jaw.
SEE: NYPD Says Woman Targeted in Anti-Muslim Assault (AP)
Man Broke 19-Year-Old Woman's Jaw, Hurled Anti-Muslim Remarks at Her in Chinatown: Cops
“The FBI should add its resources to the investigation as a concrete demonstration that bias-motivated attacks on American Muslims will not be tolerated,” said CAIR-NY Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique. “This troubling incident is unfortunately just part of a disturbing pattern of attacks on American Muslims and their institutions nationwide.”
CAIR-NY is urging Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-NY’s Civil Rights Department at 646-665-7599 or cair.newyork@gmail.com.
Yesterday, CAIR called on law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for vandalism at a Virginia mosque.
Video: CAIR Calls for Probe of Bias Motive for Vandalism Targeting Virginia Mosque
Also yesterday, CAIR challenged “hysteria” at a public hearing about a proposed Muslim cemetery in Texas.
Video: CAIR-Texas Rep Challenges 'Hysteria' Over Muslim Cemetery
Last week, CAIR’s Washington state chapter held a news conference to call on state law enforcement authorities and the FBI to investigate apparently bias-motivated “Death to Islam” vandalism targeting the Bosnia Herzegovina Heritage Association of Spokane.
CAIR-WA: Interfaith Leaders to Seek Federal Hate Crime Probe of ‘Death to Islam’ Vandalism Targeting Spokane Muslim Community Center (Video)
Earlier this month, CAIR’s Sacramento Valley chapter called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a fire outside a Chico, Calif., business as a possible hate crime.
Video: CAIR-Sacramento Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Fire at Hookah Lounge
Those incidents fit a pattern of increased hate-motivated crimes nationwide targeting persons and property associated, or perceived to be associated, with Islam and the American Muslim community.
CAIR recently called for an investigation of threats mailed to a number of Phoenix, Ariz., mosques, one of which was later surrounded by armed anti-Islam protesters displaying Nazi symbols.
SEE: CAIR Calls on FBI to Probe Terror Threats Mailed to Arizona Mosques
CAIR has also called on the Obama administration to treat a planned religiously-motivated attack on a Muslim community in New York as an act of terrorism and to charge the admitted organizer of the attack as a terrorist.
SEE: CAIR Says Tenn. Man Who Planned Religiously-Motivated Attack on NY Muslims Should Face Terror Charges
In another recent case, CAIR called on law enforcement authorities in Baltimore County, Md., to step up protection of a mosque and Islamic school in that county following threats to bomb the school’s bus and to spill “Muslim blood.”
Other anti-Muslim incidents include threats to mosques and Muslim homes in Iowa, New Jersey and Ohio, “No Muslims” graffiti spray-painted on the seal of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, hate vandalism of a Rhode Island Islamic school and threats to murder Massachusetts Muslims.
Video: CAIR-Iowa Calls for Probe of Hate Vandalism Targeting Muslim's House
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NY Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique, 646-665-7599, skhalique@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, nnaeem@cair.com