AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A 15-year-old Muslim girl was pepper-sprayed in the face by an Islamophobic woman in Bensonhurst, a residential neighborhood in south Brooklyn, on December 19.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident as a potential hate crime and searching for the suspect, who fled the scene.
The victim was walking down a street when the unidentified woman, believed to be in her 40s, approached her and made anti-ethnic remarks, calling her a “terrorist”, before deploying the pepper spray. The teenage girl refused medical attention, although she was physically unharmed.
The authorities have released a photo of the suspect, who was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and carrying a blue backpack. The investigation aims to arrest the woman and bring justice to the victim.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has denounced the alleged attack, calling on law enforcement to pursue hate crime charges against the suspect. CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said, “We condemn this alleged attack and call on law enforcement authorities and public officials to do whatever they can to protect minority communities targeted by hate.”
The incident reflects the alarming rise of Islamophobia and the verbal abuse faced by Muslim individuals. Hate crimes against Muslim Americans have increased, especially after the Israel-Hamas conflict that started in October. CAIR reported a 172% increase in complaints, with 2,171 incidents recorded over the last two months.
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