The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) on Thursday condemned a plea deal amounting to a slap on the wrist for Stuart Seldowitz, an ex-U.S. State Department official. The deal means Seldowitz will keep away from jail time in trade for present process “anti-bias” coaching for threats and anti-Muslim feedback towards a Muslim meals vendor in New York City. Many may understand the choice as an injustice, and even go so far as the justice system being seen as condoning Seldowitz’s sequence of assaults.
Seldowitz, 64, was charged in November with aggravated harassment, hate crime stalking, stalking inflicting worry and stalking at a spot of employment.
A video captured of Seldowitz exhibits him stalking, harassing and threatening a Muslim vendor in New York City, the place he’s additionally heard advocating for the killing of 1000’s of extra Palestinian kids, which had gone viral inflicting widespread uproar.
The dropping of the fees throughout a disaster of typically deadly bigotry towards Muslims in North America brings up the difficulty of the deterrence worth of the choice and whether or not it could really embolden different anti-Muslim assaults due to the notion that they go unpunished, even being seen as giving a “green light” for extra assaults. At the identical time, many Muslims will understand this growth as justice not being served resulting in their belief within the authorized system diminishing, pushing them right into a nook of marginalization.
Seldowitz reached a deal to endure bias coaching to keep away from a cost for his anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian harassment and stalking concentrating on a New York City meals cart vendor. Seldowitz, a former Obama administration safety adviser, will undergo a “26-week Anti-Bias Program through Queens Counseling for Change,” a choose dominated.
If Seldowitz completes the 26-week anti-bias course at Queens Counseling for Change (QCC), has no new arrests and no violations of an order of safety, prosecutors will transfer for adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Anadolu Agency (AA).
In a press release, CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher stated: “Seldowitz’s vile verbal abuse and harassment concentrating on an harmless road vendor had been caught on video for all to see. The sweetheart deal he acquired from the Manhattan DA’s workplace is a shameful affront of our justice system and wholly unfitting of his actions.
“Anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes are on the rise nationwide, and light punishments are a slap in the face to the victims. They represent a failure to address the severity of the issue, perpetuating a cycle of injustice and further marginalization.”
“When deals like this are made, there’s no wonder that only 4% of our community reports hate crimes and bias incidents to law enforcement.”
Seldowitz served because the performing director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate underneath former U.S. President Barack Obama. He additionally labored as a senior political officer within the State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs within the early 2000s.
Vile assault
The former official sparked outrage after movies surfaced final 12 months that confirmed him harassing and threatening a Muslim vendor on quite a few events.
In one video circulated on the web, Seldowitz referred to as the seller a “terrorist” and stated: “You assist terrorism. You assist killing little kids. You’re a horrible individual.”
The vendor replied: “You kill kids, not me.”
Before leaving, Seldowitz stated: “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough.”
In one other video which was taken throughout a night encounter with the identical vendor, Seldowitz talks about “his friends in immigration” and threatens the seller with, “The Mukhabarat wants your picture,” referring to Egypt’s intelligence company.
Wearing a inexperienced hoodie, he stated: “The Mukhabarat in Egypt will get your parents. Does your father like his fingernails? They’ll take them out one by one.”
The vendor responded, telling him to, “Go, go, go.”
Seldowitz then picks up his telephone and seems to take an image of the seller and tells him to “smile for me.”
Refusing to go away the realm, he makes insults towards the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran and threatens the seller additional.
“That’s why you are promoting meals in a meals cart since you’re ignorant. But it’s best to be taught English. It’ll enable you to once they deport you again to Egypt after which the Mukhabarat desires to interview you,” stated Seldowitz.
In one other video, he harasses the seller however is interrupted by a bystander who tells him to go away. “It’s not right; you are harassing,” he stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com