Muslim women say they were harassed in West Rogers Park

Friday, August 12, 2016
Muslim women say they were harassed in Roger's Park
Two Muslim women said they were attacked and harassed in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood because of their religion and religious garments.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Police are investigating after two Muslim women, a mother and her daughter, reported being harassed and physically attacked in West Rogers Park early Thursday morning.

Suzanne Damra said a woman targeted her and her mother because they are Muslim and wearing hijabs. They said the woman yelled, spit, and harassed them while they were walking to Damra's car around 6:15 a.m.

Once inside their car, Damra started recording on her phone. The video provided by Damra shows a woman trying to open both car doors on the passenger's side, and then tugging at the side mirror.

While Damra and her mother screamed at the attacker, the woman can be heard on the video yelling: "**** you, ISIS! **** you, ISIS!"

The woman then kicked the car and yelled, "You're ISIS, *****!"

Damra said the woman has been harassing and calling her names for about a month, but she said she didn't think anything of it until it turned physical.

Damra's mother, Siham Zahdan, blames today's political climate, specifically GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"To Donald Trump is to leave the Muslim people in America alone, leave us alone," Zahdan said.

Both women decided to speak out Thursday because they're worried other Muslims might be attacked as well. They hope citizens will step forward when seeing harassment first-hand.

During the alleged attack, the women said two men nearby did not help them. Instead, they said one of the men high-fived the alleged attacker.

At this point, no arrests have been made. Chicago Police said they are investigating this alleged crime as a simple assault.

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