Muslim Woman Shirt Set On Fire In NYC, Possible Hate Crime

A Muslim woman’s shirt was set on fire in New York City over the weekend in what police believe could have been a hate crime.

Muslim Women Set On Fire

The woman, 35, was wearing traditional Muslim garments including a hijab while in Manhattan outside of a Valentino store on Fifth Avenue Saturday when the incident occurred. When she felt a hot sensation on the left side of her torso, she realized that her shirt had caught fire and patted out the flames, according to the New York City Police Department.

Upon looking up to see what caused the fire, the woman spotted a man standing nearby with a lighter in his hand. Before authorities could be summoned, the man fled down a side street. “The male doesn’t say anything and walks away,” NYPD spokesman Christopher Pisano told the Washington Post.

As of yet, there have been no arrests and no suspects have been identified. Police are investigating the alleged assault as a hate crime.

“We are clearly seeing a spike in attacks on individual Muslims and Islamic institutions in New York and around the country, which should be of concern to all Americans,” the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New York chapter, said Afaf Nasher, posted to Facebook following this latest incident. “It is time for the mayor and the NYPD to put forward the necessary resources to investigate and prevent these attacks on the Muslim community.”