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Man harasses Muslim teens in Jersey City, calls them ‘traitors to the country’

Posted at 2:33 PM, Jun 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-14 14:33:32-04

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A man harassed a group of Muslim high school seniors headed to a Jersey City mall Tuesday, calling them "traitors to the country."

One of the teens wore a hijab, said Fatima Khan, who posted a video of the incident on Twitter. She and her friends have never had something like this happen to them before.

"At first we thought it was a joke and then he started cursing at us and saying very vulgar things, especially towards my friend who’s a hijabi," Khan told WPIX. "We were all very scared and didn't know what to do."

Khan took out her camera and started recording. She hoped the camera would make the man leave. It didn't.

"Your s----y people should go," he said.

Khan and her friends were all born and raised in America, she said.

The teens went to a nearby police station and reported the man, but were told not much could be done.

"We’re glad that things didn't get out of hand and that it was handled the best way we could have," Khan said.

The man's actions were condemned by Councilman James Solomon.

"This racism and Islamophobia has no place in Jersey City and Ward E," he said on Twitter. "The racists are emboldened and it's up to all of us to stand up to them."