AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): An attack a woman wearing a keffiyeh (Palestinian head scarf) in Brooklyn has drawn condemnation and a call for hate crime charges in the case.
On Sunday, October 13, at approximately 8:50 p.m., a 38-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The victim, who was wearing a keffiyeh, was allegedly attacked by two women. The perpetrators allegedly punched the victim in the face and pushed her to the ground.
In the struggle, all three women sustained minor injuries. NYPD officers quickly apprehended the suspects, and they have been charged with a misdemeanor assault. Law enforcement authorities are currently reviewing the case to determine whether hate crime charges will be pursued.
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) has condemned the attack.
In a statement, CAIR-NY Staff Attorney Christina John said:
“Our streets must be a safe space for everyone, and we are committed to ensure justice is served. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick arrest of the alleged perpetrators and call on them to include hate crime charges. The keffiyeh is interlinked with Palestinian identity and, based on the reports, that identity was the motivating factor behind the assault. Assaults such as these can never be tolerated.”
Earlier this week, CAIR-NY condemned the stabbing of a Halal cart vendor.
From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
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.
...................
End/ 257