South Queens, NY — I am deeply shocked and saddened that South Queens has witnessed three anti-Muslim hate crimes in just over a month, as recently as this past Sunday. On June 20, someone reportedly approached a man and woman in South Queens while shouting Islamophobic slurs, then punched both of them and grabbed the woman’s hijab. About an hour later, the same person allegedly approached another man and woman, again shouting slurs, and punched the woman in the face. Even more troubling, on Sunday the same person allegedly approached a Muslim woman, shouting Islamophobic remarks while brandishing a knife.

I condemn these reprehensible hate crimes in the strongest of terms. As the first South Asian woman elected to New York State Office, I understand the deep pain that can come from hatred directed at someone simply because they do not look or worship like others. The Islamic Hadith states that the Muslim world is one body: if one is hurt, the rest suffer like the whole body suffers from an aching limb. So too do all New Yorkers feel pain when any of us is the victim of a hate crime. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and New York’s entire Muslim community. I proudly represent a district with a diverse Muslim-American community, including the Bangladeshi community which has far too often been the victim of hate crimes. Islamophobia has no place in my district or anywhere in the United States.

The NYPD has arrested the suspect in this case, who was arraigned today. I urge the Queens District Attorney to prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.