(MIAMI, FLA., 11/8/2023) – The Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), the State’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the hate crime charges brought against a Florida man who allegedly attacked a Muslim woman postal worker.
According to NBC News, on October 24, 2023, Kenneth Pinkney approached the victim – who was wearing a U.S. Postal Service uniform and operating a marked truck – and “tore off her hijab and slapped and punched her in the face, making her bleed from her mouth and leaving scratches on her face. He attempted to grab her leg as she tried to get back in the USPS truck.”
The alleged perpetrator was charged with battery and a hate crime based on the “(prejudicial) comments on the victim’s ancestry, religion and national origin”.
SEE: Man charged with hate crime after tearing off postal worker’s hijab in Fort Lauderdale
In a statement, CAIR-Florida Media and Outreach Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz said:
“We welcome the hate crime charge brought against this suspect who reportedly attacked a postal worker because she is Muslim and following the bloody attack told her to ‘go back to [her] country.’ This alleged violence and hate have absolutely no place in Florida. We will make sure to follow up on this and any other case to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter others from engaging in this criminal anti-social behavior targeting anyone, regardless of their race or religion.”
Ruiz added that CAIR-Florida and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR has documented a spike in reported bias incidents since the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine on Oct. 7.
Video: CAIR Reports Sharp Spike in Harassment, Bias, and Violence Targeting American Muslims
The Council on American-Islamic Relations encourages those experiencing acts of aggression, racism, and Islamophobia to call their local CAIR offices and report these incidents.
CAIR-Florida’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-Florida es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Wilfredo Amr Ruiz, CAIR-Florida Media and Outreach Director, 305-502-6749. [email protected]
