Several suspected anti-Muslim attacks occurred from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12, encompassing the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On Sept. 9, two Muslim mothers wearing hijabs and out in public with their babies were punched in the face in New York City by another woman, according to the New York Daily News. The woman attempted to pull off the mothers’ hijabs and also shouted Islamophobic insults to them. She was later arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault as a hate crime.
On Sept. 10, a Muslim woman in hijab was shopping in New York City when an unidentified man walked by her on the street and set her blouse on fire with a lighter, reports the Washington Post. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
On Sept. 11, a rock was thrown through the window of a mosque in Nashua, N.H., reports the Boston Globe. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
On Sept. 12, a mosque in Fort Pierce, Fla. — once regularly attended by the Pulse Orlando shooter Omar Mateen — was determined by police to have been “intentionally” set on fire, according to Time. An arson investigation is underway.
Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, stated the need for “all Americans to speak out” about persistent and rising anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States:
"When we allow one faith community to be targets then we open the doors for others to be targeted. I believe the worst is yet to come unless more people actively intervene with their voices, their votes, and in public acts of solidarity with their Muslim neighbors."
These suspected anti-Muslim attacks follow the murder on Aug. 13 of an imam and his assistant in New York City near their mosque, as reported by The New York Times.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!