(BALTIMORE, MD, 9/16/2024) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called for a hate crime investigation of an alleged assault on an anti-genocide protester at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Sunday morning by a pro-Israel individual who, according to video and multiple eyewitness accounts, struck a woman wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh as an Islamic head scarf (hijab) and holding a Palestinian flag.
That alleged assailant reportedly shouted insults and slurs and then appeared to hit the victim in the mouth with a megaphone he attempted to rip from her hands.
VIDEO OF THE ALLEGED ASSAULT.
The woman was part of a group of students and community members protesting the appearance of an Israeli soldier, Arky Staiman, who sparked outrage after being invited as a speaker on campus by the Hillel organization.
On Saturday, CAIR called on Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to strongly condemn the invitation extended to Staiman, who participated in the genocidal war on Gaza and reportedly posted a video himself dismissing concerns about innocent Palestinians while in the home of a displaced or murdered Palestinian family in Gaza.
CAIR is calling on law enforcement to identify and prosecute the suspect, and investigate the failure of officers who were on the scene to protect anti-genocide students. The Washington, D.C., based civil rights organization is also calling on local and statewide political leaders to condemn the growing rise in hate against Palestinian and Muslim communities.
In a statement, CAIR Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“While the far-right Israeli government is waging its campaign of genocide, forced starvation and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, our communities continue to face violence, harassment and intimidation here at home for speaking up for justice. The hate on display proves that this kind of alleged aggressive behavior is an extension of the unprecedented hate facing our communities during the past year. These attempts to silence and intimidate our communities will not succeed.”
She said CAIR is urging anyone who experienced a bias incident to seek medical attention if warranted, take photos of any injuries, draft a statement of the facts, collect any documentation and report it to CAIR regardless of whether they wish to pursue legal action.
Submit a Complaint to CAIR’s Maryland office: https://bit.ly/hatebiasform
Last month, CAIR announced new civil rights data on issues impacting Muslim and Arab communities in Maryland. That data highlights a troubling trend in reports of discrimination, free speech violations, hate bias incidents and bullying, among other concerns. CAIR documented 413 cases of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian complaints, incidents and requests for assistance statewide in Maryland between January – June 2024
Video: CAIR’s Maryland Office Announces 413 New Complaints from January-June 2024
January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
SEE: New CAIR Data Shows Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Hate Remain Elevated in First Half of 2024
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints.
Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
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 Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@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