A Muslim woman in Queens endured a violent assault on the subway on Wednesday morning, officials reported. The 55-year-old was riding the E train around 4 a.m. when she encountered a man who not only invaded her personal space but proceeded to subject her to a barrage of questions about her religious identity. Eyewitness News reported that the victim recalled the man asking aggressively, "Are you Muslim?" after questioning about her origins. When she confirmed her Muslim faith, the man unleashed an attack, punching and kicking her until the train reached the next station, according to ABC7NY.
The suspect in the assault, identified by police as 34-year-old Naved Durrni, has a known history of anti-Muslim behavior. The Daily News revealed that in June 2021, Durrni carried out an assault against a Muslim couple and later attacked another Muslim woman, resulting in a broken nose for the victim. The exacerbation of this pattern continued as Durrni followed a woman, brandishing a knife and hurling anti-Muslim slurs at her in the same year. He was convicted of aggravated harassment, but this latest incident shows a troubling continuation of his violent demeanor toward the Muslim community.
Following the attack on the subway, Durrni fled, only to be apprehended by police a mile away. The woman, whose name hasn't been disclosed, sustained significant injuries, including a concussion, a fractured nose, and severe bruising. "I just said stop, stop but he not stopping," the victim told ABC7NY. The violence has resulted in physical injuries and psychological trauma, causing her to struggle with persistent memories of the attacker’s face.
Currently, Durrni faces charges of assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. With this not being his first altercation with members of the Muslim community, his alarming pattern of attacks brings to the forefront the continuing struggles with faith-based hate crimes. Durrni is remanded without bail as anticipated for a court appearance on June 26, according to Daily News.
