The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter (CAIR-Florida), the nation’s and state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today issued two major calls for justice following the harassment of Muslim students at the University of South Florida (USF) and Nova Southeastern University (NSU).
- Welcoming Felony Charges at USF: CAIR-Florida welcomed the swift action by the USF Police Department (USF PD) in filing felony hate crime-enhanced charges against three individuals accused of harassing Muslim students during prayer on the Tampa campus.
- Demanding Action in Hollywood, Fl: The organization called on the Hollywood Police Department (Hollywood PD) to immediately follow suit by filing similar charges in the separate, alleged hate crime targeting NSU students praying in Hollywood. CAIR-Florida also called on the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) to offer its resources and full cooperation to ensure a decisive investigation.
The USF PD has filed felony hate crime-enhanced charges against Christopher Svochak, 40, Richard Penskoski, 49, and Ricardo Yepez, 28. They face multiple charges, including Disturbing schools and religious or other assemblies, which was elevated to a felony under Florida Statute 775.085 due to the hate crime enhancement.
In response to the developments, CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz issued a statement:
“We welcome the decision by the USF Police Department to bring felony hate crime charges against the three individuals responsible for harassing Muslim students. This decisive action sends a clear message that Islamophobic intimidation on campus will not be tolerated, and it serves as a critical step toward justice.”
“However, a similar hate crime against NSU students in Hollywood has still not resulted in any charges against the perpetrators. We call on the Hollywood Police Department to follow USF PD’s exemplary leadership and move swiftly and decisively to file hate crime charges in that case. Further, we call on Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony and the BSO to offer all necessary cooperation and resources to ensure this investigation is concluded immediately and thoroughly. We must send an equally strong message in Broward County: that bigotry and harassment against Muslim community members will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
CAIR-Florida notes that these incidents occur amid a documented sharp rise in Islamophobic harassment and hate-motivated behavior across the country and state. The organization continues to urge law enforcement agencies to take proactive steps to safeguard Muslim students and ensure their right to practice their faith freely is protected.
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.
END
CONTACT:CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, (305)502-6749, wruiz@cair.com; Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR Communications Director, ihooper@cair.com. (202)744-7726