Boy, 14, charged with hate crime assault of Guyanese-born Muslim man

Jun 21, 2016 News

New York (www.dailymail.co.uk)- A 14-year-old boy has been charged with assault as a hate crime in connection to a horrific attack on a Muslim man earlier this month.
Mohamed Rasheed Khan, 59, was attacked on June 1 after he was leaving the Center for Islamic Studies on Jamaica Avenue in Queens Village.
Khan, an American citizen of Guyanese heritage, was left fighting for his life after he was reportedly attacked by three young men and thrown off his bicycle.
Following the brutality, Khan suffered multiple broken bones in his face, fractured ribs and a concussion and was unable to speak or open his eyes for some time.
The alleged assailants did not steal the victim’s wallet, watch or bicycle, and were reportedly seen laughing as they left the scene of the attack, according to statement released by Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY).
Khan was wearing traditional Islamic attire at the time of the attack.
Speaking at the time, CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said: ’Because of the location of the attack outside a mosque, the Islamic attire of the victim, and because nothing was stolen by the alleged attackers, we urge law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this troubling incident.’
She added: ‘We urge the NYPD to step up patrols in the area of the mosque, particularly during activities associated with the upcoming fast of Ramadan.’
Nasher added that incidents targeting American Muslims and their religious institutions have spiked in recent months, which she believes is prompted at least in part by anti-Muslim rhetoric employed by public figures like Donald Trump.
NYPD initially did not treat the crime as ‘bias’ but this has since changed following the arrest of the young man Friday.
Due to his age, the boy’s identity will not be released. Two additional teenage suspects are still being sought by police.
Surveillance footage was released by police on June 7 showing two of the three suspects wanted in connection with the crime. It is unclear whether the boy who is in custody is one of the suspects shown in the footage.
Speaking after the attack Khan’s neice, Asha Deopersaud, told ABC: ‘My uncle is an American citizen, and did not deserve this. He is very humble and he doesn’t bother anybody.
‘He believes in Islamic ways—he was coming to pray, and Islam is all about love and caring for others. The criminals that did this, they don’t identify with that.’

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