The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the filing of multiple felony hate crime charges against a Des Plaines man who allegedly threatened to shoot three Muslim women wearing hijabs at Lake Opeka (Lake Park) while shouting white supremacist slogans.
According to the Des Plaines Police Department, officers responded to a call at the park on the 2200 block of South Lee Street. The victims reported that the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Matthew R. Kindle, repeatedly hurled derogatory remarks about their religion and national origin before threatening to shoot them. During his detention, the suspect reportedly made explicit “white power” remarks. Kindle has since been charged with six felony hate crime counts, along with resisting a peace officer.
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, released the following statement:
“No one should ever have to fear for their safety, let alone face threats of gun violence and white supremacist bigotry, while simply walking or spending time in a public community park. Law enforcement have a duty to take action against hate with a swift response and pursue appropriate felony hate crime charges in this alarming case. Bigotry-fueled harassment targeting women based on their faith and appearance is a direct threat to the safety and fabric of our communities. We stand in full solidarity with the victims and will continue monitoring this case to ensure that justice is fully served.”
CAIR-Chicago encourages anyone experiencing or witnessing bias or discrimination to report incidents immediately to its civil rights department at www.cairchicago.org/get-help.