CAIR-NY Welcomes Hate Crime Charge for Ramming Attack on Muslim Men in Suffolk County
(NEW YORK, NY, 7/17/2024) - The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed an announcement by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney that Brendan Marchetti, 35, was “arrested for Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, as a Hate Crime, and other related charges, for threatening to kill four Muslim men and then ramming his vehicle into theirs.”
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said:
“According to the investigation, on June 17, 2024, at approximately 9:00 a.m., four Muslim men dressed in traditional Muslim attire were in a car on their way to a mosque. The men’s vehicle came to stop at a red light at an intersection in Huntington. Marchetti was in the driver seat of a vehicle that was stopped at the same red light. Marchetti allegedly stated to the Muslim men, in sum and substance, that he wanted to kill all Muslims, that all Muslims should die, and that he wanted to blow them up. Marchetti then allegedly drove his vehicle into the side of their car, causing damage exceeding $1,500.”
“We welcome the hate crime charge for the apparently bias-motivated attack on these Muslim men and thank law enforcement authorities for their swift and professional actions in this troubling case,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher.
Yesterday, CAIR-NY welcomed a federal grand jury’s four-count indictment charging alleged neo-Nazi Michail Chkhikvishvili with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City. He allegedly planned attacks that involved handing out poisoned candies to “racial minorities” and to Jewish children in Brooklyn.
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2024 civil rights report, which reveals the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history.
Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documents 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR-NY on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR-NY's Email List
Subscribe to CAIR-NY's Twitter Feed
Subscribe to CAIR-NY’s YouTube Channel
Do you like reading CAIR-NY's press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR-NY's work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR-NY's advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR-NY.
END
CONTACT:
Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com;
Lamya Agarwala, Esq., Supervising Attorney, LAgarwala@cair.com