(ATLANTA, GA, 7/25/24) – The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the alleged stalking and harassment of two Muslim women who were wearing the hijab (Islamic head scarf) in downtown Alpharetta, Georgia.
The two Muslim women were reportedly peacefully protesting, holding a Palestinian flag and sign, when they were approached by the middle-aged man who began to hurl verbal abuse at them.
The video shows the man make deeply disturbing Islamophobic comments, using racist rhetoric and questioned if the women had “guns” and if they will “shoot people.” He then began stalking and following them while continuously exclaiming, “lets shoot some people while we are having a concert” and “let’s throw a grenade and a bomb shell while we are having a concert” as the two women walked away from him. The two women were speaking a mix of English and Arabic to each other.
The women stopped and asked the harasser to walk away, telling them he was “harassing” them, yet he continued to follow and film them. A female public bystander then intervened, coming in between the harasser and the two Muslim women. The man continued to follow and record the two Muslim women as they walked to their car. The bystander stayed with the Muslim women to ensure their safety as long as she could.
SEE: Original on TikTok
CAIR-Georgia’s Executive Director, Azka Mahmood, stated:
“This video is deeply disturbing, demonstrating the Islamophobic and racist rhetoric that has surged in Georgia. The First Amendment clearly guarantees Americans the right to peacefully protest, and this is fundamental to our democracy. This man’s actions demonstrate his Islamophobic and racist attitude. Verbally abusing, harassing and stalking peaceful protesters to intimidate them is a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”
If you have experienced hate, harassment or discrimination, please contact CAIR-Georgia by filling out an incident report on our website (LINK). We encourage you to report all harassment and violent incidents to law enforcement too.
CAIR-Georgia’s mission is to protect civil rights, promote justice, empower American Muslims, and enhance the understanding of Islam.
La misión de CAIR 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: Azka Mahmood, CAIR-Georgia Executive Director, [email protected], 678-653-5822, Nazia Khanzada, CAIR-Georgia Communications Manager, [email protected], (404)-239-2086