CAIR-NY Condemns Alleged Snatching of Jewish Boy’s Yarmulke by an Unidentified White Man in Brooklyn

NYPD hunt for suspect who 'snatched' yarmulke off boy's head, investigated as hate crime

By Edward Era Barbacena

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today condemned the alleged snatching of an 8-year-old Jewish boy’s yarmulke from his head by an unidentified WHITE man in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn yesterday afternoon. 

According to police, the alleged perpetrator approached the child, grabbed his yarmulke from his head, then ran away without uttering a word. He is now being sought for grand larceny and possible hate crime charges. 

“We condemn this obnoxious and malicious alleged display of contempt for religious attire. The yarmulke or kippah is a traditional head covering worn by Jewish males, typically during prayer and religious observances, but also at other times, as a symbol of Jewish identity. To forcibly remove it is profoundly disrespectful and hurtful, especially to an 8-year-old child. We urge the NYPD to find the alleged culprit and investigate whether anti-Jewish hatred was a motive.”

She added that CAIR-NY and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging white supremacy, anti-Jewish hate, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and all other forms of bigotry.