Gillibrand Calls For Federal Funding To Protect Religious Institutions, Nonprofits From Hate, Terror
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hate crimes are up, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is trying to have $5 million more added to an end-of-the-year federal funding bill.
As 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported, the bill -- also endorsed by Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) would be used to protect buildings housing religious and nonprofit groups.
"An example, in front of a large building, you'll put barriers so a truck couldn't pull up next to the barrier that could be a terrorist truck," Gillibrand said.
Beyond that, Gillibrand called on the public to stand up to hatred wherever it erupts.
"When you see a woman in the grocery store wearing her hijab with her daughter, and she's being harassed and spoken to horribly, you stand next to her and say: 'That is not who we are. You should shut your mouth,'" Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand said hate crimes and threats must be stopped.
"No new Yorker should ever have to worship in fear," Gillibrand said. "This hate this language this behavior must never be normalized."
This past Saturday, NYPD Officer Aml Elsokary, who is Muslim and wears a hijab on patrol, had gone to park her car at Ridge Boulevard and 67th Street in Bay Ridge when she spotted her 16-year-old son being pushed and berated by a man.
When the off-duty, unarmed officer approached, police said the suspect said to her, "ISIS (expletive), I will cut your throat go back to your country."
On Thursday, a young woman said she was berated on a subway train.
"They were surrounding me from behind and they were like, 'Oh look, it's an f-ing terrorist,'" Yasmin Seweid, 18, told CBS2's Tracee Carrasco. "I didn't answer. They pulled my strap of the bag and it ripped, and that's when I turned around and I was really polite and I was like, 'can you please leave me alone?' and everyone was looking, no one said a thing, everyone just looked away."
According to the NYPD, there were 34 reported hate crime incidents in the city between Nov. 8 and Nov. 27 of this year, compared to only 13 during the same period in 2015.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to make that sure that these federal funds reach our community to help us stay safe," Gillibrand said.