CAIR-NY Seeks Hate Crime Charges for Attack on Muslim Activist, Colleague

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 9/4/14) -- The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling for hate crime charges to be filed against a man who allegedly attacked a Muslim activist and her colleague while shouting anti-Muslim slurs.

[UPDATE: The alleged attacker has been charged with menacing and aggravated harassment as a hate crime and criminal possession of weapon. SEE: Arab Civil Rights Activist Attacked, Threatened with Beheading in Brooklyn]

Linda Sarsour reported on Facebook that, "My Deputy Director and I were harassed and assaulted by a bigoted drunk who hurled hateful Islamophobic and anti-Arab epithets at us on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge. . .he ran after us and picked up a huge NYC metal garbage can and threw it at us causing us to have to run in to oncoming traffic." Sarsour later reported that an arrest had been made.

"We urge law enforcement authorities to send the clear message that anti-Muslim hate attacks will not be tolerated," said CAIR-NY Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique. "We thank the NYPD for its swift action in apprehending the alleged perpetrator."

In August, CAIR-NY attended a news conference organized by the Sikh community in reaction to an attack in Queens during which a Sikh man was run over in an apparent bias-motivated attack.

In July, CAIR-NY held a news conference at the Islamic Center of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn in reaction to hate incidents, including one in which individuals holding Israeli flags out of a car window screamed at and antagonized worshippers in front of the mosque as worshippers gathered for morning prayers.

CAIR-NY is a chapter of 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, 212-870-2002,(cell),skhalique@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726,ihooper@cair.com