Muslim Women Publicly Assaulted in New York Right Before 9/11 Anniversary #HummusHaters

posted on: Sep 14, 2016

With all the anti-Arab bashing we see in the news every week, Arab America is determined to expose those who discriminate against our community. We will recognize those who vilify the positive influence and contributions Arabs have made to the fabric of American society. And we will use hummus as our weapon. By naming those who vilify the Arab American community as #HummusHaters, we can express our culture positively while showing intolerance to bigotry.

BY: Alexa George/Contributing Writer

Among the most recent outrageous and demeaning public attacks against Muslim women, these two events aim to take the cake.

On September 8, Emirijeta Xhelili of New York City berated two American Muslim women while they were pushing their babies in strollers.

Xhelili spewed Islamophobic slurs and allegedly yelled, “This is America, you shouldn’t be different from us.”

She also repeatedly screamed, “Get the f—k out of here, get the f—k out of America, b—–s.”

After verbally abusing the women, Xhelili then repeatedly punched the Muslim women in their faces and kicked their legs. An attempt was also made to rip off the hijabs the women were wearing.

Xhelili also attempted to push over a stroller containing a 15-month-old baby.

Luckily, the young Muslim women and children were not seriously injured, and they were able to identify Xhelili shortly after the incident took place.

With further investigation, it was uncovered that Xhelili avidly writes derogatory remarks against Muslims on her Facebook page. She also uses the alias “Mary Magadalene” on social media, writing posts such as, “YOU CAN’T LIVE IN AMERICA AND BE A MUSLIM! WHEN YOU TAKE THE OATH IT SAYS..SO HELP ME GOD! IT DOESN’T SAY HELP ME ALLAH!!”

Xhelili also admits to being a Trump supporter noting, “Can’t hide I love Trump. When I had no hope and I thought everyone was bad, I looked at Trump goodness and speeches (sic)…And I had hope.’

Xhelili was charged with a misdemeanor assault as a hate crime and is being held on bond.

A few days later on September 10, in another attempt public incident, a Muslim Scottish tourist had her blouse set on fire. This took place only hours before the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The event also took place in New York City on Fifth Ave, outside of a high-end shopping area. The victim felt heat on her arm and then noticed that her blouse was on fire.

The suspect has not been identified, but the victim noticed a man standing directly next to her putting away a lighter. The suspect then ran eastbound without saying a single word.

The victim wishes to remain unidentified but was able to swiftly extinguish the flames and was not injured.

With a series of attacks on Muslims not only both countrywide and statewide, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) requests a full investigation. It is speculated that the crime was fueled by bias, and the NYPD hate crime force is closely examining if the woman was targeted specifically because she was dressed in traditional Islamic attire.

Whether or not these attacks were related to the anniversary of the events that happened on 9/11, fifteen years ago, intentionally hurting someone is never acceptable, especially because of how she is dressed.

Police reports of these incidents have not released the names of the women who were publicly assaulted, but their attackers are hummus haters nonetheless. It’s unhealthy to hate a stranger so intensely that you light her on fire or knock over her baby.

To the New Yorkers who think it’s acceptable to attack random people in the street, try some hummus! It’s a very nutritious dish that can put your health back on track. There are plenty of Arab Americans in New York who can supply you with all the right ingredients to boost your mental and physical health.