A man has been arrested and charged with three separate Islamophobic attacks in New York over the course of five weeks.
The New York Police Department identified the person as Naved Durrni, a 30-year-old male, who has been charged with assault as a hate crime, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of harassment.
On 20th June, an individual allegedly followed a 31-year-old man and 24-year-old woman in the borough of Queens and made Islamophobic remarks before punching the man in the back, pulling on the woman’s hijab as well as punching her in the arm. Both victims refused medical attention.
An hour later, Durrni allegedly followed a 64-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman – both unnamed – in Queens and verbally abused them before punching the woman in the face and head several times before leaving the scene. The woman had a fractured nose and cuts to her head and face and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The third incident occurred on 25th July when Durrni followed a 38-year-old woman and pulled out a knife before threatening her and making Islamophobic remarks. The woman was able to flee the scene after the incident and was physically unhurt.
