JAMAICA, Queens— Police are searching for the suspects who allegedly attacked a man in front of a mosque in Queens Wednesday.
Mohamed Rasheed Khan, 59, was leaving the Center for Islamic Studies on Jamaica Avenue when he was punched and knocked off his bike, suffering serious injuries, police said.
Khan, who was wearing traditional Islamic attire, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he was treated for broken bones in his face, fractured ribs, and a concussion, sources said.
He is unable to speak or open his eyes.
Mohamed Rasheed Khan was attacked by three men Wednesday night as he was leaving the Center for Islamic Studies in Queens. (CAIR-NY)
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, Sunday called on the NYPD to investigate the incident as a hate crime.
“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,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher.
“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 noted that incidents targeting American Muslims has spiked in recent months.
