(BOSTON, MA, 6/1/23) – On Friday, June 2, the Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) plans to hold a media availability following the 9 a.m. arraignment of a woman who allegedly verbally accosted Melrose City Councilor Maya Jamaleddine and then allegedly assaulted her husband last year.
The woman is to be arraigned Friday morning on charges of assault and battery on Jamaleddine’s husband. Despite the apparent anti-Muslim motivation for the attack, she is not expected to be charged with a civil rights violation. CAIR-MA, which represents Jamaleddine and her husband, plans to hold a media availability after the arraignment with the Councilor.
WHAT: Media Availability with Councilor Maya Jamaleddine and CAIR-MA
WHEN: Friday, June 2, at some time after 9 a.m.
WHERE: Malden District Court
4040 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford, MA
CONTACT: Barbara J. Dougan, CAIR-MA Legal Director, 781-281-9992, bdougan@cair.com
BACKGROUNDER
In December 2022, Melrose City Councilor-at-Large Maya Jamaleddine was sitting in her car with her two children. A woman in the car next to her reportedly rolled down her window and angrily yelled at Jamaleddine, “What are you looking at, you terrorist Arab? Go back to your [expletive] country!” Jamaleddine wears a hijab, the traditional Muslim head scarf, and is the first Muslim to be elected to public office in Melrose.
Jamaleddine’s husband, who had been putting air in their tires, overheard the remark and asked the woman why she would say such a thing. He filmed the woman’s license plate. Video shows the woman following him back to the family’s car, where the frightened children waited, and then allegedly shoving him so she could film their license plate.
CAIR-MA called for a hate crime investigation into the incident after it happened.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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