CAIR-NY Welcomes Guilty Plea of Woman Who Assaulted Muslim Women, Infant Children in Brooklyn
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(NEW YORK, NY, 11/30/17) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the state’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the guilty plea of Emirjeta Xhelili, who pleaded guilty in Kings County Supreme Court to attacking two Muslim women and their infant children.
On September 8, 2016, Xhelili attacked two Muslim women in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn, punching them, kicking them, and trying to remove their traditional headscarves (hijabs) and face veils (niqabs). Xhelili also tried to topple the strollers with their young children. Xhelili made several anti-Muslim statements during her attack, including: “get the f--k out of America, b-----s” and “this is America — you shouldn’t be different from us.”
Xhelili pleaded guilty to third degree assault as a hate crime, a felony; she was sentenced to six months in prison.
SEE: EXCLUSIVE: Bigot tried ripping off two Muslim women’s hijabs as they strolled with their babies in Brooklyn attack
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bigot-ripping-muslim-women-hijabs-hateful-attack-article-1.2785475
Muslim woman who was victim of hate crime in Brooklyn speaks out
http://pix11.com/2016/10/12/muslim-woman-who-was-victim-of-hate-crime-in-brooklyn-speaks-out/
In a statement, CAIR-New York Legal Director Albert Fox Cahn said:
“We congratulate the Kings County District Attorney for swiftly pursuing the case against Ms. Xhelili. In a year that has seen unprecedented levels of hate crimes against Muslim New Yorkers, this attack stands out for its vicious cruelty. It is intolerable to think that these young mothers and their children were targeted in broad daylight, on a street in Brooklyn, for doing nothing more than practicing their faith.
“It is clear that the president’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, like the tweets he circulated earlier this week, is emboldening anti-Muslim extremists. Muslim New Yorkers are being targeted like never before, including attacks on mosques, Muslim children bullied at school, and Muslim New Yorkers attacked on the street.
“We commend DA Eric Gonzales for keeping his office’s lines of communication open with the Muslim community. This helps show the world that New York has no place for hate crimes against Muslims.”
SEE: CAIR Report Shows 2017 on Track to Becoming One of Worst Years Ever for Anti-Muslim Hate Crime
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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