The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called on the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to investigate a reported anti-Arab hate incident that took place at a SoulCycle fitness studio in Brentwood, Calif. CAIR-LA also urged SoulCycle to protect the safety of its Arab clients by ensuring that the alleged perpetrator is banned from all locations.
PHOTO OF DISPLAY BEFORE VANDALISM.
In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, which is celebrated nationwide every April, SoulCycle’s Brentwood location featured a wall display of prominent Middle Eastern figures, including Edward Said and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.
On Wednesday, April 2, a middle-aged man allegedly began to pace aggressively around the establishment and yell a barrage of angry statements in objection to the display, questioning why it was being showcased and stating that it was “ridiculous” and “bad for business.” The display was then torn down, presumably by the same man, and without permission from or knowledge of the SoulCycle staff.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Civil Rights Managing Attorney Dina Chehata, Esq., said:
“We commend SoulCycle for honoring the rich contributions of Arab Americans to the city of Los Angeles and our nation as a whole. The reported vandalism and unbridled hate targeting this well-meaning display underlines exactly why the recognition of Arab American Heritage Month is not just a nice gesture, but absolutely necessary.
“We urge SoulCycle to take its show of solidarity one step further and protect its Arab clients from further interactions with the alleged perpetrator by banning this hateful man from all locations. We also call on the LAPD to investigate this reported act of vandalism and the motivation behind this apparent hate incident.”
To report any bias incidents, contact CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177 or click here to file a report.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Senior Communications Coordinator Madi Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com