- NEW YORK: The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) on Thursday called on the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to prosecute an alleged bias-motivated attack on an imam, or Muslim religious leader, as a hate crime.
The incident began on the A-train on Wednesday near Canal Street. One of two suspects arrested allegedly used racial and religious slurs, including calling the imam a “camel jockey” during the verbal and physical assault.
CAIR-NY has been in touch with the victim and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and will continue to monitor the case. The police task force has called for hate crime charges in the case.
CAIR’s national office recently announced the launch of a department devoted to addressing the alarming rise of Islamophobic sentiment in American society.
The Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organizations is urging American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in CAIR’s “Muslim Community Safety Kit.”