CAIR-NY Condemns Hate Attack on Jewish Mother and Daughter Mistaken for Muslims
(NEW YORK, NY, 9/14/17) — The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the allegedly bias-motivated attack on a Jewish woman and her adult daughter by an assailant who mistakenly believed they were Muslims.
According to police, Dimitrious Zias said "get out of my country, you dirty Muslim!'' as he repeatedly punched the 57-year-old Jewish woman and her 37-year-old daughter. The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with assault as a hate crime. The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Rego Park R Stop on 67th Avenue.
SEE: Drunken Bigot Attacks Jewish Mom, Daughter He Mistook for Muslims at Queens Subway Station: 'Get Out of My Country'
“This tragic attack shows why Muslim and Jewish New Yorkers must unite against religious bigotry,” said CAIR-NY Legal Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Any time a New Yorker is targeted because of their faith, it’s an attack on our city as a whole and the values that we treasure. We stand with and support the victims of this heinous attack, and we are grateful that an arrest was made so quickly.”
CAIR-NY and the American Muslim community have in the past expressed solidarity with Jewish, Christian, Native American, African-American, and Sikh communities in New Mexico, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Alabama, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Ohio, Texas, and other states following acts of hate, threats, violence, vandalism, arson, or bombings. Last month, CAIR-NY condemned racist vandalism at a Long Island school.
SEE: CAIR-NY Condemns Racist Vandalism Found at Long Island School
https://www.cair-ny.org/news/2017/8/30/cair-ny-condemns-racist-vandalism-found-at-long-island-school
Community members are asked to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-NY at (646) 665-7599, or by filing a report at: https://www.cair-ny.org/incident-report/
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.
END