By Patrick Donachie
Days after a Muslim man was brutally beaten outside a Queens Village mosque, police said they were investigating the incident as a hate crime. Earlier in the week, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations had called on the NYPD to examine the crime for a possible bias motivation.
Mohamed Rasheed Khan, 59, was leaving the Center for Islamic Studies at 206-09 Jamaica Ave. on the evening of June 1 when he was approached by three young men, according to a statement released by CAIR.
The men attacked Khan, knocking him to the ground, and fled without taking his wallet, watch or bicycle, according to the statement. CAIR said the suspects were laughing as they fled.
“Because of the location of the attack outside a mosque, the Islamic attire of the victim, and because nothing was stolen by the alleged attackers, we urge law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this troubling incident,” Afaf Nasher, the executive director for CAIR’s New York chapter, said. “We urge the NYPD to step up patrols in the area of the mosque, particularly during activities associated with the upcoming fast of Ramadan.”
Khan was wearing traditional Islamic attire at the time of the attack, according to the statement. He was being treated at Jamaica Hospital Center for multiple broken bones in his face, as well as fractured ribs and a concussion.
CAIR released a photo of Khan that was taken in the hospital and said he had been scheduled to undergo surgery this Monday.
The NYPD released a video of two of the three suspects fleeing the scene in the aftermath of the incident and were encouraging anyone with information about the assault to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS. Elected officials also expressed their dismay about the assault.
“The attack on Mohamed Rasheed Khan is a sad example of what happens when people take regrettable actions based on hate speech espoused by those with a platform to do so,” City Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) said. “This weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in several events that attracted families and brought together people of various backgrounds and creeds. That is what southeast Queens is about, not individuals who react foolishly to inflammatory comments they hear on the news or from irresponsible leaders.”
On April 20, a man disrupted prayer services at the Jamaica Muslim Center at 85-37 168th St. and uttered anti-Muslim remarks to people at the mosque, according to statements from the Muslim Center. He attacked 10 individuals before he was pushed out into the street by members of the congregation and arrested.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
