brainwave
Jedi Master
The article below was on page 28 of the new york daily news. If it was the other way around it would have been front page news.
Five Orthodox teens charged in bias attack
BY KERRY BURKE and NANCIE L. KATZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Umbar Islam shows the bloodstained jacket that was worn by his son Shahid Amber, 24, when he was allegedly attacked by gang of Orthodox Jewish teens because he is a Muslim.
Five Orthodox Jewish teens have been slammed with hate-crime charges in the brutal beating of a Pakistani immigrant in Brooklyn.
"They hit me in the face with brass knuckles four or five times while somebody held my hands," said the victim, Shahid Amber, 24, a gas station attendant. "Then they all beat and kicked me. They were screaming 'Muslim m-f-r. You m-f-g Muslim terrorists. Go back to your country.' "
Amber, who was eating ice cream outside a Midwood Dunkin' Donuts when the gang attacked on Sunday, needed 15 stitches on his broken nose and reconstructive surgery.
Witnesses who called 911 said that 10-12 youths jumped him, a source said.
Amber said the attack began after one of the group asked if he were Muslim and he answered yes. Amber's father, Umbar Islam, 56, described a brutal assault by boys in long black jackets, black pants and black hats.
"They punched and broke his nose. They ripped his jacket. He was covered in blood. They said, 'Jews rule this country!' " Islam said. "These people are crazy. In his life, he's never fought. He doesn't know how to fight."
Yitzi Horowitz, 15, David Brach, 15, Yossi Friedman, 17, Shulomi Bitton, 16, and Benjamin Wasserman, 16, all of Borough Park, were charged with assault as a hate crime, gang assault, menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Horowitz and Brach were freed on their own recognizance. The other three were ordered to pay $5,000 cash bond and are due back in court today.
Bitton's mother, Irit Bitton, said last night that her son was innocent.
"My son was just standing over there and he did not touch anybody," she said. "He's a sensitive boy. He wouldn't even kill a fly. I believe my son 100%."
She also denied he was biased.
"We have clean hearts," she said.
Amber, who has lived in the U.S. for seven years, said, "I respect all religions . . . I love this country. It has given me everything. I would defend this country with my blood.
"These guys just break my heart."
Five Orthodox teens charged in bias attack
BY KERRY BURKE and NANCIE L. KATZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Umbar Islam shows the bloodstained jacket that was worn by his son Shahid Amber, 24, when he was allegedly attacked by gang of Orthodox Jewish teens because he is a Muslim.
Five Orthodox Jewish teens have been slammed with hate-crime charges in the brutal beating of a Pakistani immigrant in Brooklyn.
"They hit me in the face with brass knuckles four or five times while somebody held my hands," said the victim, Shahid Amber, 24, a gas station attendant. "Then they all beat and kicked me. They were screaming 'Muslim m-f-r. You m-f-g Muslim terrorists. Go back to your country.' "
Amber, who was eating ice cream outside a Midwood Dunkin' Donuts when the gang attacked on Sunday, needed 15 stitches on his broken nose and reconstructive surgery.
Witnesses who called 911 said that 10-12 youths jumped him, a source said.
Amber said the attack began after one of the group asked if he were Muslim and he answered yes. Amber's father, Umbar Islam, 56, described a brutal assault by boys in long black jackets, black pants and black hats.
"They punched and broke his nose. They ripped his jacket. He was covered in blood. They said, 'Jews rule this country!' " Islam said. "These people are crazy. In his life, he's never fought. He doesn't know how to fight."
Yitzi Horowitz, 15, David Brach, 15, Yossi Friedman, 17, Shulomi Bitton, 16, and Benjamin Wasserman, 16, all of Borough Park, were charged with assault as a hate crime, gang assault, menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Horowitz and Brach were freed on their own recognizance. The other three were ordered to pay $5,000 cash bond and are due back in court today.
Bitton's mother, Irit Bitton, said last night that her son was innocent.
"My son was just standing over there and he did not touch anybody," she said. "He's a sensitive boy. He wouldn't even kill a fly. I believe my son 100%."
She also denied he was biased.
"We have clean hearts," she said.
Amber, who has lived in the U.S. for seven years, said, "I respect all religions . . . I love this country. It has given me everything. I would defend this country with my blood.
"These guys just break my heart."
