(BOSTON, MA, 12/6/2022) – The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) today called for a hate crime investigation into an alleged incident of racist harassment and assault targeting a Muslim member of the Melrose City Council and her family.
The incident occurred on Saturday, December 3, when 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 told Jamaleddine to “go back to your own 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 Jamaleddine’s husband several times so she could film their license plate. The videos have been turned over to the Melrose police. CAIR-MA is representing Jamaleddine.
Jamaleddine and her family were deeply shaken by the ugly incident. She said, “For the past 11 years, first as a member of the Human Rights Commission and now as a city councilor, I have been serving my community and advocating for marginalized and underrepresented populations. It’s one thing to be the advocate and totally different when you are the victim. I have encountered racism in the past, but never to this extent, where my kids witnessed it and felt unsafe in their own community. Since then, my family and I have been trying to process what happened. One thing that has been helpful is the amount of love and kindness that people poured on us.”
Jamaleddine added, “Please know I’m not the only Muslim who is encountering racism and Islamophobia, but I chose to speak up while others are still suffering in silence.”
In a statement, Jamaleddine’s lawyer, CAIR-MA Legal Director Barbara J. Dougan, said:
“We condemn this alleged act of hate and commend Councilor Jamaleddine for speaking up. An individual who would engage in an act like this would most likely have done this before and would continue doing so – except that now, the incident has been documented and an investigation can proceed. We thank the Melrose police for taking the matter seriously and urge them to launch a hate crime investigation. We also thank the bystanders who comforted the family’s children and made sure everyone was OK before leaving the scene.”
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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CONTACT: CAIR-Massachusetts Legal Director Barbara J. Dougan, 781-281-9992, bdougan@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com