CAIR Asks FBI to Probe NY Anti-Arab Hate Attack
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on the FBI to investigate an apparently bias-motivated attack in which one of the alleged assailants shouted “f—— Arabs” before beating the victim into unconsciousness.
CAIR-NY said the attack, which was caught on surveillance video, occurred last month and is being investigated as a hate crime by New York police.
The 57-year-old victim was attacked in Manhattan after one of two alleged assailants shouted “f—— Arabs.” The victim reportedly told the men that he is of Indian heritage, to which one of them responded, “Same f—— thing.” The video shows the victim trying to flee just before one of the suspects hits him in the head, knocking him out. The victim was treated for his injuries at a local hospital.
“This disturbing incident reminds us that hatred and bigotry affect Americans of all faiths and ethnicities,” said CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick. “We urge the FBI to add their considerable resources to the investigation.”
McGoldrick noted that two women from Niagara Falls were sentenced Friday to jail terms for a hate attack on a Muslim woman last summer.
NY: 2 Sentenced in Hate Attack on Muslim Woman (Buffalo News) http://tinyurl.com/889vlpx
He added that number of recent reports have documented the growth and promotion of Islamophobia nationwide.
CAIR: Same Hate, New Target http://tinyurl.com/66enzm8 Center for American Progress: Fear, Inc. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/islamophobia.html Southern Poverty Law Center: Jihad Against Islam http://tinyurl.com/3qsv2v8 People for the American Way: The Right-Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism http://tinyurl.com/6j9fttw
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.