'I Want Justice': Muslim Women's Hijab Ripped Off by NYPD Officers
On August 14, protesters gathered at an event for Kamala Harris, attended by NYC Mayor Eric Adams and other politicians. The situation escalated when protesters, who were on the sidewalk, were reportedly kettled and assaulted by NYPD officers.
Reports indicate that officers violently ripped hijabs off Muslim women protesters, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Shajnin Howlader, one of the protesters whose hijab was reportedly ripped off, described the incident: “I came home that night completely traumatized, my body aching from being shoved and grabbed by policemen, my hair and scalp full of pain. I have been unable to sleep properly since then without flashbacks to my hijab being forcefully pulled off my hair bun. I never encountered anything similar. I feel so many emotions. I want justice for myself and other hijabis who experienced similar degrading experiences that night.”
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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) has strongly slammed police brutality.
In a statement, CAIR-NY Staff Attorney Christina John said: “The NYPD’s treatment of hijab-wearing Muslim women is egregious because of the physical brutality, the violation of bodily autonomy, and the infringement on religious rights. Such abuse by law enforcement risks silencing and deterring Shajnin and other women from safely exercising their First Amendment rights.
“Based on these reported actions, it is evident that the NYPD is untrained, incompetent, and/or unwilling to recognize the significance of religious attire such as the hijab, which precludes non-family males from seeing a Muslim woman without it. This nefarious strategy of silencing Muslim women from protesting and expressing themselves should be seen as a gender-driven assault beyond the clear First Amendment violations.
“This use of force underscores a troubling pattern of misconduct that demands immediate and thorough accountability.”
Source: Agencies
