CAIR-NY Seeks Public's Help in Hate Crime Probe of Anti-Muslim Attack
(NEW YORK, NY, 8/6/24) - The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on the public to assist in identifying an assailant law authorities say committed an alleged anti-Muslim attack on a Manhattan street.
A man was reportedly punched in the face by the assailant shouting anti-Muslim slurs on Monday. The alleged victim was taken to NYU Langone Health in stable condition. The alleged attacker has not been apprehended. So far no arrests have been made, but police on Tuesday released surveillance photos of the suspect at large.
He is described as having a light complexion and a beard, is 5 feet, 7 or 8 inches tall, 160 pounds and approximately 25 years old. He was last seen wearing a gray hat, black T-shirt, tan shorts and black sneakers.
The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying the alleged attacker. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the site formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips.
SEE: Man punched by stranger deriding him with anti-Muslim slurs in Midtown Manhattan
SEE: Anti-Muslim bigot punches and harasses man in Midtown hate crime: cops
“Based on the reported anti-Muslim statements made by the alleged assailant, we urge law enforcement authorities to investigate this attack as a hate crime and we urge members of the public to provide any information they may have about the incident,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. “We ask political and community leaders to speak out against rising bigotry and the violence that inevitably results from hate-filled ideologies.”
Last month, CAIR-NY welcomed an investigation by the NYPD into a possible bias motive in the vandalism of a mosque in Brooklyn and welcomed an announcement by the Suffolk County District Attorney that a man 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.”
In June, CAIR-NY welcomed a hate crime charge brought against a suspect who allegedly attacked a Muslim woman on a subway train platform in April. That suspect allegedly threw a can at the 22-year-old victim while shouting “f—ing Muslims.”
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 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.
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CONTACT:
Afaf Nasher, Esq., Executive Director, anasher@cair.com, 917-669-4006
Saira Amar, MPA, Communications Coordinator, SAmar@cair.com