By Tom Brockman
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
It all stems from an alleged incident that happened in broad daylight on the city’s west side and was all caught on camera.
The woman, who did not want to give her identity to NBC4, says the incident has left her terrified. “I was attacked by a man I didn't know and he just wanted to hurt me,” she said.
The alleged incident took place behind the Abubakar Siddique Islamic Center on Sullivant Avenue. Surveillance video shows the 20-year-old woman driving into the parking lot and parking her car. Then a second SUV drives up and parks directly behind her. Video shows a man getting out of the second SUV and walking up to the woman’s car. That's where this story takes a violent turn. “He threatened me,” says the woman. “He said he will kill me and he said ‘all you Muslims, go back to wherever you’re from, don’t think you can rule this country, you can't.’ He said ‘this is my country.’”
She says he then sprayed her in the face with pepper spray. “At first, I was like blinded through everything. I couldn't see,” says the woman.
After being fought off by the woman, the attacker fled the scene. Video shows the woman holding her eyes. She says she noticed the man following her and thought she'd be safe outside a place of worship.
Those with the Islamic center say this is not the first act of hate they've experienced since the mosque was opened in 2004, which is why a video camera was watching - this time.
“The reason we have surveillance cameras in the past couple years, the same incident has taken place, not a similar incident, where you basically have people attacking the mosque, breaking glass outside the mosque, writing 'kill all Arabs' across the mosque,” said Romin Iqbal with the Columbus Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Tuesday afternoon, CAIR called on the FBI to investigate. The FBI tells NBC4 they have spoken with the victim. “This young lady was attacked because she was bearing an Islamic dress and she identified herself as a Muslim,” said Iqbal.
While the burn from the pepper spray has worn off, the sting from the reality of what the woman says happened to her lingers on. “I can never forget about this man. Right now, while I’m standing in front of you, I still visualize him. I feel like he is still in this room and I’m afraid, like he's just going to come at me,” she says.
FBI spokesman Mike Brooks says results of their investigation will be turned over to the United State Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Source: NBC4