The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today welcomed the arrest of a suspect in the alleged racist, Islamophobic attack targeting a Palestinian-American Muslim woman in Mountain View, Calif. Atoosa Biglari, 43, was arrested for a July 1 hate crime, after reportedly attacking an 18-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim woman, allegedly choking her with her own hijab (Islamic head scarf) and shouting racist and Islamophobic slurs such as “you’re a terrorist.”
Biglari was arrested for battery with a hate crime enhancement. The victim believes she was chosen as a target based on her Islamic attire.
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“We condemn all acts of hate and bigotry in our community, and we welcome the charges brought against the alleged perpetrator and the hate crime enhancement,” said CAIR-SFBA Managing Attorney Brittney Rezaei. “We hope to stand against all injustice against the Muslim community and we hope to ensure the safety and protection of each individual.”
Rezaei said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Asian hate, antisemitism, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.