07 March 2004

by Anai Rhoads

AnaiRhoads.org - A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty Friday for what is being considered a felony assault against a Muslim woman.

The incident took place in a Toys R Us store in April 2003. Maxwell Abrahamowitz, who was visiting from Israel at the time, struck the woman while he obstreperously shouted racial slurs at her.

According to a Newsday report dated 23 April 2003, when Abrahamowitz was arrested he was asked by the police why he attacked the woman, he openly confessed, "I don't like Arab people."

Abrahamowitz escaped significant jail-time but was forced to pay a $2,000 amercement for the provocation to a not-for-profit organisation called the Italian Muslim Victim's Choice.

The N.Y. office for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) praised the prosecution and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office for their dedication, however, the organisation expressed some disappointment over the judge's less-than-harsh sentence.

"We hope this case will encourage others who are targeted because of their race, ethnicity or religion to come forward so that those who act out hate-filled views are similarly punished," said CAIR-NY Civil Rights Co-ordinator Firdos Abdul-Munim.

CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. The head office is located in Washington, D.C. The organisation has twenty-five regional offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada.

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