NEW YORK
\nA Pakistan-born member of the House of Representatives of the US state of Connecticut, Maryam Khan, was attacked after she and her family attended Eid ul Adha prayers on Wednesday in the state\u2019s capital city of Hartford, officials said.
\nAccording to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Khan, her three children, her sister and a friend were approached by a man who made \u201cvulgar and obscene remarks\u201d and then \u201cgrabbed and hit her and threw her to the ground.\u201d
\nThe Hartford Police Department did not name the public official in a statement on the incident but said the suspect approached a woman and began making \u201cunwanted advances\u201d. A 30-year-old man is facing assault charges in connection with the incident, according to the police.
\nThe suspect, Andrey Desmond, then tried to prevent Khan from leaving the area and assaulted her.
\nShe suffered minor injuries, according to police.
\nAfter the assault, the suspect fled and was chased by civilian bystanders, who detained the suspect until police arrived, the law enforcement officials said.
\nDesmond was arrested and is facing charges of third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with police, police said.
\nMeanwhile, Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas condemned the attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know Rep Maryam Khan was attacked and injured outside the Eid ul Adha prayer ceremony at the XL Center in Hartford,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe currently do not have details of the assault and will hold off on commenting further until we do. <\/p>\n
\u201cState Capitol Police have assured us they will work with Hartford Police to conduct a full and thorough investigation. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is especially painful that Rep Khan was attacked on a holy day of peace and prayer. On a day she should spend with her friends and family. <\/p>\n
\u201cRep Khan is an amazing leader and person who is committed to faith, love and service \u2014 we are sending our well-wishes and support to Maryam and her family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disturbing to me that this happened on a holy day meant to be marked with peaceful prayer,\u201d Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement Wednesday. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe details of the assault are still unfolding but I know our law enforcement personnel will conduct a thorough investigation into what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farhan Memon, chairman of CAIR\u2019s Connecticut chapter, urged law enforcement to \u201cinvestigate a possible bias motive\u201d and \u201cto ensure the safety of the Connecticut Muslim community during the ongoing Eid ul Adha celebrations\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll too often we have seen American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, targeted by hate because of their attire, race or ethnicity,\u201d Memon said.<\/p>\n
Rep Maryam Khan, 33, is the first Muslim member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and only the second elected to the state\u2019s General Assembly behind Senator Saud Anwar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK A Pakistan-born member of the House of Representatives of the US state of Connecticut, Maryam Khan, was attacked after she and her family attended Eid ul Adha prayers on Wednesday in the state\u2019s capital city of Hartford, officials said. According to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Khan, her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-340579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n