The Indypendent e-news
Shareena Rahat was sitting in traffic on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens when the slurs began.“Dumb fucking Pakistani, why don’t you go home?” allegedly yelled a man in the car next to hers, who gestured angrily at Rahat. She said she was on her way to an Astoria mosque to break the Ramadan fast with her two eldest children, and was wearing a hijab, the scarf worn by Muslim women as a sign of modesty.
Rahat’s 11-year-old daughter didn’t even think that the man was talking to them.“ He can’t be talking to us, we’re not even Pakistani, Mom,” she said. Rahat, who immigrated to the United States from Guyana 27 years ago, lost extended family in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Rahat said that she ignored his insults at first, but after allegedly he spat on her car and then swerved into her lane, in an attempt to cause a collision, inaction was no longer an option. She immediately pulled out her cell phone to call 911, which she felt only angered the man further. She said that he veered toward them again.“He then gets out of the car and started cursing again. He comes to my window and knocks the phone out of my hand,” Rahat said.
The Queens district attorney charged Michael Doherty, a 41-year-old Queens resident, with assault and harassment as a hate crime after the Sept. 7 incident. Queens Legal Associates, which is representing him, could not be reached for comment. The Queens County district attorney’s office refused to comment on the case. The case is pending.
Muslim organizations across the country, as well as advocates of religious freedom, claim there has been an increase in hate crimes. The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) points to more than dozen recent incidents across the country in which Muslims have been physically assaulted or harassed.
Nearly six in 10 American adults — 58 percent — say that Muslims are experiencing more discrimination than other religious groups, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported in a September 2009 study. Further, CAIR expressed concern about a “spike” during the month of Ramadan, which ended Sept. 19 this year.
For Rahat, however, this incident was only the beginning — it took nine days for Doherty to be arrested. Though she called 911 from the scene of the crime, Rahat had to visit two local precincts, as well as track down phone records and recordings of the 911 call, before police acted and arrested him.
Many observers are not surprised by Rahat’s experience.“Across the country I have had many people tell me when they have tried to report hate crimes they have had difficulty,” said Saadia Khan, the national hate crime prevention coordinator at the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Los Angeles branch, “Unfortunately, it comes down to the training of law enforcement. They need more diversity training, and they need to be held accountable.”
While many advocacy groups support expanding hate crime legislation, many civil libertarians are opposed. They say current laws adequately punish violent behavior and warn that laws restricting free speech can be used to suppress unpopular opinions.
Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York, says that despite the city’s diversity, Muslims, especially those wearing religious clothing such as hijabs, are often targets of hate.“It’s a reality for us the minute we step out of our neighborhoods,” Sarsour said. “We need to put ourselves out there more to show that we are all the average American. Everyone is after the American dream. We are peaceful people,” Kahn said.
Though Rahat, who works as a nurse at a health clinic in Queens, says that she has experienced similar incidents before, this is the first time she felt physically threatened. She is also troubled by the impact the encounter has had on her children.
“Now my kids want to hide their identity. My eldest [daughter] doesn’t want to wear hijab or scarf on the way to mosque, even in the car. They are scared someone will attack us or pull out a gun on us,” Rahat said.
“Especially in the United States of America, in New York, it’s outrageous that people have to tolerate this kind of hatred and vindictiveness,” Rahat said. She added that she has asked the prosecutor to require Doherty to perform community service in the Muslim community.
Comments
Great story. I look forward to hearing what happens with Doherty's case.
I agree with Renee. It is a very good report --brief and clear; to the point.
I too look forward to progress of the case. Will he be punished,
or let go with a slap on the wrist --
a disappointment to human rights activists?
A well done article. How sad people have to act this way. Waiting to see how this case turns out.
Wow! I agree with Rahat. I can't believe that in a place like NYC such incidents still happen, its sad. I can't wait to hear the final verdict in this case. I hope you publish a follow up article. Very well written by the way.
Sadly this happens all too often. I have not been physically assualted, but I have been denied access to shops and verbally harrassed because of my beliefs. Every time I go out there is a danger of something happening, but I leave it in God's hands. "...and even if everyone in thed world got together to harm you, they cannot harm you any more then Allah allows."
This is a good article. Something similar happened to my Muslim daughter here in Durham about two months ago. Like this sister, her young children were in the car with her too. My daughter had left her pepper spray and other stuff at home. Muslimah have got to learn how to protect themselves, because we can see that people really do not take us seriously. The police was on this case for my daughter though. I hope that the young sister will not stop wearing hijab. Then, you have let the others win. I am Muslimah for life, and will always be a hijabi for life, no matter what.
may Allah make it safer and easier for her family and please encourage your family to not to hide their identity just because of someone else.
may God make things easier for her family. Encourage your family to not to hide their identity just because another human being wants you to satisfy their needs of ignorance.
This article was insightful.
Hate crimes are seriously under reported because the process of reporting them seem difficult, confusing and nontransparent. It seems as though police departments should have a more systematic method of reporting hate crimes so people like this woman do not have to jump through hoops and collect evidence on her own like tracking down phone records and recordings.
I think it would be awesome if this guy does community service in the Muslim community.
Subhanalla. wow. Sad this happens too often. If not taken seriously by law enforcement dismissed by stereotypes, bias and apathy, how can we expect any better from the average ignorant layman? Ironic, the victim, for anyone familiar with a compasionate, deeply spiritual, a reputable professional. Non discerning of color, religion, age nor status in walking life.
Can't wait to hear what walls have to be climbed for justice and a reduction of such hideous bias and hate.
?? Community service within the muslim community, would love to know how that worked out?
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. Am proud of myself, a muslimah & productive.. contributing member of society by God's grace. Will try not be forced into weakness or loosing of identity. May god help us all to stand for respect, kindness and selflessness.
This article was insightful.
Hate crimes are seriously under reported because the process of reporting them seem difficult, confusing and nontransparent. It seems as though police departments should have a more systematic method of reporting hate crimes so people like this woman do not have to jump through hoops and collect evidence on her own like tracking down phone records and recordings.
I think it would be awesome if this guy does community service in the Muslim community.
I see a dichotomy between islam(a truly evil religion) and muslims (amongst the best peoples in the world, especially the ones I interact with).
I think that we have to be honest that islam is NOT a religion of peace. The prophet Mohammed was a blood thirsty conqueror who attacked freedoms in the arabian peninsula He made wars of aggression and conversion against western civilization (eastern roman empire). Mohammad was a rapist and a pedophile as he slept with the 9 yr old Aisha. His immediate successors the 4 caliphs like Mohammed were blood thirsty conquerors and were truly brutal to the Zoroastrians.
HOWEVER while islam is violent and oppressive most muslims do not follow this islam. They follow a sanitized cleaned up islam which teaches good things. It is not the islam and allah of the prophet Mohammed. Americas enemy is not muslims it is the god of the Koran/Hadith/Sunna called Allah and his chief terrorist Mohammed. I make a special effort to be kind to the muslims I work with and while they don't know my views on islam they know I care about them personally. I make a special effort at scientific conferences to interact with muslims who are often isolated. Especially female muslims who are doubly oppressed. Though to be fair I have met wonderful and brilliant muslim couples of which both members are scientists ( and good ones too) and kind an gentle people.
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