Hartford, Connecticut police arrested a man for assaulting the state’s first Muslim state representative, Rep. Maryam Khan, on Wednesday morning while she was leaving an Eid al-Adha prayer service with her children and sister at the XL Center in the downtown area of the city.
Police said the suspect, 30-year-old Andrew Desmond of New Britain, was arrested Wednesday when responding officers found civilians detaining Desmond after they chased him down near the XL Center.
“The suspect approached a female, later determined to be a public official, and began to make unwanted advances. The suspect also attempted to prevent her from leaving and assaulted the female. The suspect then fled on foot and was chased by civilians,” police said in a statement.
Khan received minor injuries and was treated by EMS at the scene, police said.
The motive behind the attack is not known yet.
Eid al-Adha marks the end of the annual pilgrimage Hajj and commemorates Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God’s command. The holiday is celebrated with prayers, animal sacrifice and distribution of meat amongst the needy, small gifts for children and social gatherings.
“My heart is with Rep. Maryam Khan who was attacked today after attending Eid al-Adha services with her family,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont in a statement shared on Twitter. “It’s disturbing to me that this happened on a holy day meant to be marked with peaceful prayer.”
Council on American-Islamic Relations condemns incident
Meanwhile, the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has condemned the incident and has called on the state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident.
According to a statement on their website, Khan, her sister, a female friend and Khan’s three pre-teen children were reportedly approached by a man, who made vulgar and obscene remarks before hitting and grabbing Khan pushing her to the ground. Khan was treated for injuries at the scene, police said.
“We urge local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this attack and to ensure the safety of the Connecticut Muslim community during the ongoing Eid al-Adha celebrations,” said CAIR-Connecticut Chair Farhan Memon. “All too often we have seen American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, targeted by hate because of their attire, race or ethnicity.”
Memon further said that the Eid al-Adha prayer service in Hartford was the largest gathering of Muslims in recent years and required heightened police presence, adding that the Muslim community had to hire two off-duty officers at their own expense.
“Given the size and prominence of the event, more officers should have been present. Other cities and towns in Connecticut have proactively assigned officers to mosques to protect against such attacks,” said Memon.
Maryam, who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1994, was elected during a 2022 special election in March to represent the 5th District, serving Hartford and Windsor. She is the first Muslim member of the Connecticut House, according to her official bio. Last November, she was re-elected to serve her first full legislative term which now includes South Windsor. For the 2023 legislative session, she was appointed Vice Chair of the Housing Committee and a member of the Aging, Education, and Judiciary Committees.
Maryam lives in Windsor with her husband and three children.
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