Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he’s pleased with the arrest.

“I’m happy to see the Tinley Park Police Department is not one where hate gets a free pass,” he said. “No group of Americans is left behind when it comes to equality.”

“I was shaken up,” Abusumayah told the SouthtownStar about the Nov. 7 assault. “This is my dignity and this is my religion.”
Ahmed Rehab of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said his organization has reached out to the FBI to pursue federal charges.

“Pulling a woman’s head scarf is clearly a hate crime and should therefore be investigated as such,” said Christina Abraham, the Chicago civil rights director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab comments on the assault on a Muslim woman in Tinley Park, IL. Amal Abusumayah was shopping when another customer made hateful comments against Muslims and attempted to pull off Abusumayah’s headscarf.

CAIR-Chicago’s Ahmed Rehab responds to the harassment and assault of a Muslim woman in a Tinley Park, IL grocery store. CAIR-Chicago is reaching out to the FBI to pursue federal charges against the aggressor.

CAIR-Chicago is calling for charges to be filed in the case of a Tinley Park, IL woman who was shopping at Jewel when another customer tried to pull off her headscarf.

Amal Abusumayah was paying for her groceries when she felt a sharp tug on her headscarf. When she looked at who had pulled her hijab, Abusumayah saw a woman who moments earlier had made a derogatory comment about Islam. Becky Schlikerman reports on a CAIR-Chicago client.