Community Urges Cops to Nab Muslim Attacker

By DANIELA BEASLEY

SUPPORTERS OF MUSLIM cab driver Serjul Islam Khan stand together in solidarity. Some are seen holding up photos showing the victim’s face following an attack by a passenger on May 21. Khan claims the attack was racially motivated. Photo by Daniela Beasley — SUPPORTERS OF MUSLIM cab driver Serjul Islam Khan stand together in solidarity. Some are seen holding up photos showing the victim’s face following an attack by a passenger on May 21. Khan claims the attack was racially motivated.
Photo by Daniela Beasley

A Norwood cab driver attacked and robbed on Saturday night claims the incident was solely based on his Muslim faith.

Serjul Islam Khan had $200 and his cell phone stolen from him and was beaten by a passenger riding in his taxi by 187th Street near Park Avenue. Recounting his story to News 12 the Bronx, Khan remembered his attacker shouting “I am going to kill you Muslims” during the beating.

The 48th Precinct will be investigating this crime and are still searching for Khan’s attacker. The police did not log this incident as a bias crime since Khan initially did not mention to investigators the epithet hurled at him during his attack.

The attack sparked outrage among the Bangladeshi community, and has begun conversation about the feelings of underrepresentation of Bangladeshis in the police force. Khan was an active community leader, serving as president of the Bronx Bangladesh Community Association.

“This attack is not only against Mr. Khan,” said Mohammed Rouf, Khan’s neighbor, at yesterday’s press conference, “this is an attack against our whole community.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.