Chicago Police Tackle, Strip Search Fasting Muslim Woman

[islamirama]

Chicago Police Tackle, Strip Search Fasting Muslim Woman

06.30.2016

CHICAGO— A Muslim woman was running to catch a train in Chicago when five police officers tackled her, ripped off her hijab and strip searched her.

Itemad “Angel” Almatar said she faced humiliation at the hands of police before being arrested for no reason. She was carrying a backpack with food in it to break fast.

Surveillance camera video showed her overtaken by five Chicago police officers as she climbed the stairs of the State/Lake station in the Loop.

“They threw me to the stairs, and grabbed my bags. They kicked me, hit me, took off my hijab,” she said.

They also had an issue with her putting food inside her bag.

“They asked me why I put my food inside my bag, why I’m Muslim, why I’m fasting, why I’m wearing these clothes, why I cover my body,” she said.

Almatar said she was terrified.

She thought the people who grabbed her might be thieves, until they arrested her.

“She was strip searched, videographed, and at the same time men were allowed to see her naked. This is the ultimate horror you can do to a Muslim woman,” said Imam Malick Mujahid, a Muslim community leader in Chicago.

Almatar was charged with reckless conduct and resisting arrest, but on Wednesday a Cook County judge found her not guilty. Her attorneys said the police officers are guilty of profiling and violating her rights, perhaps in the name of vigilance.

“We know a couple things. There’s a Constitution, and the Constitution says you can’t just grab people for no reason whatsoever,” said Aaron Goldstein, a supervising attorney with the Cook County Public Defender’s office

In court, prosecutors said police officers first yelled ‘Stop!’ but the video of the incident shows no one turning around in response, even though several other commuters were walking up the stairs with Almatar.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department said he would look into the incident and what, if any, action was taken internally.

Almatar said she plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit soon.

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news...lim-woman.html

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comments:

This is the condition of the Muslims in the west where the dignity of the Muslimat is not even safe by the so called protectors of the law. During the Khilafah a Muslim woman was just taunted in Rome and the Khalifah sent an army to protect her honor and conquered Rome. This is why the Kuffar abolished the Khilafah and are against it.

Strip search has no other reason but to humiliate a person and for the perverted authorities to practice their perversion.

"They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise! " (Quran 85:8)

"They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse." (Quran 3:118)

"...Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy." (Quran 4:101)

 

[islamirama]

[h=1]Chicago police sued for attacking Muslim woman, stripping her of headscarf
[/h]

8.11.16

A Muslim woman is suing the city of Chicago and six Chicago police officers for tackling her on the stairs of a subway station, stripping her of her headscarf and violating her civil rights on the Fourth of July last year.


The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group, on Thursday announced the federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Chicago resident Itemid Al Matar, a 32-year-old Saudi student.


Al Matar, who covers her full body, head and face in the conservative Saudi style of dress, was on her way home on July 4, 2015, and was running up the stairs to catch a train, when a group of police officers ran up behind her, “grabbed [her] and threw her down upon the stair landing,” according to the lawsuit.


“They ripped off the face covering and the head covering, as well as pulled up her shirt, exposing her midriff, and pulled down her pants,” said Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of CAIR’s Chicago office. “She made the choice to cover her body, and someone came along and exposed her in this violent manner. It was humiliating.”


Al Matar, who had come to the United States about a year prior to study English, was frightened and shocked, according to Rehab. “At first she thought they were robbers, and when she saw that they were in uniform, she couldn’t believe her eyes.”


The lawsuit alleges that the police acted with prejudice and “with malice.”


Al Matar was arrested and eventually charged with resisting arrest and reckless behavior — charges that she was cleared of in June, and which Rehab said amounted to a “an attempt at a cover up” by a police department that “knew they had done something that was unprovoked and unwarranted.”


The Justice Department is currently investigating the police department’s conduct in the incident, he said. A Justice Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.



As a direct result of the incident, the lawsuit says, Al Matar has “suffered violations of her constitutional rights, emotional anxiety, fear, humiliation, monetary loss, embarrassment, fear, pain and suffering and future pain and suffering.”


At the police station following her arrest, Al Matar was ordered by a female officer to strip naked in a room where the door was left open and Al Matar could see male police peering in and laughing, Rehab said.


The lawsuit charges that Al Matar was subject to the use of excessive force, false arrest, unlawful search, a violation of the freedom of religious expression as defined by the First and Fourth constitutional amendments, and malicious prosecution.


The police incident report filed at the time that Al Matar was tackled says that the officers in question “were on high alert for terrorist activity” when they saw Al Matar “exiting the station with her entire face concealed by a scarf, hat and sunglasses.” She was “clutching a backpack with her right arm to her chest and walking at a brisk pace in a determined manner,” the incident report continues. Police pursued her because of this “suspicious behavior,” the report said.


According to police, Al Matar was ordered to stop, and did not — causing the police to believe that she “might be a lone wolf suicide bomber.” The report says that Al Matar “pulled away” and ignored verbal instruction before they tackled her.


A partial video of the incident shows Al Matar walking up the stairs with four officers coming up behind her. She does not turn around, nor does anyone else on the stairs — something that Rehab said shows that the police made no verbal attempt to stop her.


Once on the ground, the police incident report describes Al Matar as “furiously clutching her backpack and appeared to be trying to reach for something.” Al Matar appeared to have “possible incindiary devices strapped around her ankles.”


As police searched her, Al Matar was screaming and crying, the report said — something that caused “considerable alarm to CTA patrons.”
Her backpack turned out to contain food to break her Ramadan fast. She was walking with ankle weights.


“They ask me why I put my food inside bag, why I’m Muslim, why I’m fasting, why I wear this clothes, why I cover my body,” Al Matar told CBS Chicago.


On June 30, a Chicago judge dismissed one charge and found her not guilty of all charges.

“As far as we’re concerned, policing ought to be concerned with criminal behavior and violations of the law, not with the way people dress or the color of their skin,” said Rehab.


Al Matar has asked that the case be tried before a jury.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...of-headscarf/?utm_term=.31061c9ffcd2#comments


reader comments:

Roblimo: If police strip-search one of my female relatives while men are watching and leering, those police will answer to me. I am not a Muslim. I am an American husband, father and grandfather. Same goes for non-police, BTW. I don't like having my family members assaulted, period.

 

[jabeady]

The Justice Department is currently investigating the police department’s conduct in the incident, he said. A Justice Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment...

The lawsuit charges that Al Matar was subject to the use of excessive force, false arrest, unlawful search, a violation of the freedom of religious expression as defined by the First and Fourth constitutional amendments, and malicious prosecution.

If you're trying to show how Muslims are persecuted in the US, shouldn't you have left these parts out? It doesn't sound like krystalnacht if the victims have legal recourse.

Just a suggestion, for next time.

 

[islamirama]

If you're trying to show how Muslims are persecuted in the US, shouldn't you have left these parts out? It doesn't sound like krystalnacht if the victims have legal recourse.

Just a suggestion, for next time.

Just because there is a law that you can use to get SOME justice as an American Muslim doesn't mean it stops them from showing their true colors.

Muslims are persecuted in the US and the west. There is anti-islam hysteria and islamophobia all time high. You have dimwit citizens attacking Muslims, cops jumping muslims, mayors denying the right build mosques, politicians and media jumping on hate wagon to score some points and presidential candidates talking of mass genocide with pig's blood drenched bullets.

 

[jabeady]

And Muslims are breaking down the doors to get in.

 

[talibilm]

Just because there is a law that you can use to get SOME justice as an American Muslim doesn't mean it stops them from showing their true colors.

Muslims are persecuted in the US and the west. There is anti-islam hysteria and islamophobia all time high. You have dimwit citizens attacking Muslims, cops jumping muslims, mayors denying the right build mosques, politicians and media jumping on hate wagon to score some points and presidential candidates talking of mass genocide with pig's blood drenched bullets.

How ever biased are they BUT Muslims MUST UNITE in a peaceful manner and take actions ABIDING THE LAW of the Land and show our Opposition to such harassments or else expect it to go worst .

 

[aaj]

And Muslims are breaking down the doors to get in.

Muslims actually want to live peacefully in their own lands. There is no place like home. But due to imperialism and continued meddling of the west in the Muslim lands, they are compelled to go where they would be better able to support their families. As dire the situation is with the Syrian refugees, even they are saying I would love to go back home and build it, only if the west stops bombing it and supporting those destroying it.

America likes to export its culture and values through varies means to rest of the world and to advertise itself as a land of opportunity for all. So naturally many want to come here and be part of what they have been exposed to, but that doesn't mean everybody wants to come here nor does it mean it's only the Muslims who are trying to immigrate here. Nor does it justify the power abuse and violation of civil rights based on bias prejudice and personal hatred.

 

[talibilm]

Steps must be taken PROMPTLY & LEGALLY & STRINGENTLY BY THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY THERE IN USA . NEVER LET IT GO WHEN THE MISTAKE IS CLEARLY ON THEIR SIDE & CLAIM HEFTY DEFAMATION CHARGES to avoid repetition of such incidents

 

[Snel]

How ever biased are they BUT Muslims MUST UNITE in a peaceful manner and take actions ABIDING THE LAW of the Land and show our Opposition to such harassments or else expect it to go worst .

It's funny how you found this to be a good opportunity to tell muslims to "be peaceful" and to "abide by the law", as if you're trying to be provocative. Nevertheless, these disbelievers were neither peaceful nor did they "abide by the law". But this muslim woman, that had her honour violated publicly did, and how did that end up? So I suggest we have some appreciation of the seriousness of the situation that we are in. Let me remind you also that this is far from an isolated incident.

 

[Serinity]

Once cops become criminals, the country/state is screwed. Once the president becomes a stupid one, the whole state becomes.

Those police needs to be jailed for violating a Muslim Woman's honour, and serve Jail time for how many years is justified.

The Police have NO excuse for what they did, they, if they REALLY wanted to check, could send a female cop, search the baggage, or even go in a private room where the female could check.

But this is just baseless suspicion based on prejudice. Instead of reacting with violence, as that doesn't solve anything, we should resort to fining, and suing them in court, etc.

They need to be lashed, tbh. Whatever Shariah Law prescribes, but in this case all we can do is sue them, raise awareness, etc.

 

[talibilm]

It's funny how you found this to be a good opportunity to tell muslims to "be peaceful" and to "abide by the law", as if you're trying to be provocative. Nevertheless, these disbelievers were neither peaceful nor did they "abide by the law". But this muslim woman, that had her honour violated publicly did, and how did that end up? So I suggest you have some respect and appreciation of the seriousness of the situation we are in. Let me remind you also that this is far from an isolated incident.

Yes that's easy to say but difficult to Implement , But still we have to swallow our anger for the welfare of our OTHER brethren living there and avoid going on rampage or so since Hikmah in such situations in neccessary to keep the situations in control. DELIBERATION (urdu- Hosh) IS BETTER THAN OVER ENTHUSIASM (Urdu - Josh) is seen from hadiths. we are living in such a situation with hypocrites living amongst us and my another post # 51 of today should give you more info on this here

http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthre...he-Polytheists-Did-the-Verse-9-5-say-So/page2

 

[Serinity]

It is not wise to act violently at all, best to to just speak at the court.

And Allah :swt: knows best.

 

[Scimitar]

And Muslims are breaking down the doors to get in.

Do mention this is sarcasm in future

Scimi

 

[Snel]

Yes that's easy to say but difficult to Implement , But still we have to swallow our anger for the welfare of our OTHER brethren living there and avoid going on rampage or so since Hikmah in such situations in neccessary to keep the situations in control. DELIBERATION (urdu- Hosh) IS BETTER THAN OVER ENTHUSIASM (Urdu - Josh) is seen from hadiths. we are living in such a situation with hypocrites living amongst us and my another post # 51 of today should give you more info on this here

http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthre...he-Polytheists-Did-the-Verse-9-5-say-So/page2

Well, going on a rampage is your addition. I wasn't telling anybody what to do. I just said: appreciate the seriousness of situation that we are in, it's worse than you think.

 

[Abz2000]

May Allah send calamity upon calamity on the unjust who reject the truth after it is made clear to them and then go further and humiliate and harass those who accept the truth and follow it.
It is better that the courts have the people who stripped this woman naked and abused her with no just cause or valid excuse are sentenced to lashing by the victim's male family members of her choosing and then put in prison for at least a year each, and that the governmemt apologises publicly and pays her a reasonable sum for not being able to protect her dignity despite limiting her ability to defend herself.

Before people start excercising their God given right to defend themselves.....

 

[jabeady]

Do mention this is sarcasm in future

Scimi

"Just over half of the projected growth of the American Muslim population from 2010 to 2015 is due to immigration. Over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of Muslim immigrants coming to the U.S. The number of Muslim immigrants currently represents about 10% of all legal immigrants arriving in the U.S., and a significantly smaller percentage of unauthorized immigrants."

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/06/a-new-estimate-of-the-u-s-muslim-population/

On another note, you would be better served to not cite either Chicago or Chicago's police as typical of America. Generally, Chicago's gang violence bears a strong resemblence to Daesh's attacks in Baghdad; last year, almost twice as many violent deaths occurred in Chicago as American military deaths in Afghanistan. For a popular-culture depiction, Google the movie, "Chi-raq" (Chicago and Iraq). Independent of that, Chicago's police force has always been known for corruption and lack of restraint (among other things, look up the police riot at the 1968 Democratic convention).

It seems odd to cite Chicago's less-than-palatable reputation as a refutation of your argument. However, that I am able to do so is a reflection of your lack of research, and your lack of research appears to be a reflection of your personal bias.

 

[Scimitar]

I agree - but you are unable to see what this actually means.

let me me explain.

You wrote

"Just over half of the projected growth of the American Muslim population from 2010 to 2015 is due to immigration. Over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of Muslim immigrants coming to the U.S. The number of Muslim immigrants currently represents about 10% of all legal immigrants arriving in the U.S., and a significantly smaller percentage of unauthorized immigrants."

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/06/a-new-estimate-of-the-u-s-muslim-population/

Mind telling me what percentage of the world is Muslim? Muslims account for 1/5 people across the planet... if the immigration stats of the USA were to reflect this without bias - they would have to allow Muslims to make up 20% of all immigrants into the USA.

On this point alone - the facts you cite, support me and expose the xenophobic immigration selection process of the USA.

See bro, facts - are only facts... you have to know how to understand them to know what they actually mean.

Scimi

 

[jabeady]

I agree - but you are unable to see what this actually means.

let me me explain.

You wrote



Mind telling me what percentage of the world is Muslim? Muslims account for 1/5 people across the planet... if the immigration stats of the USA were to reflect this without bias - they would have to allow Muslims to make up 20% of all immigrants into the USA.

On this point alone - the facts you cite, support me and expose the xenophobic immigration selection process of the USA.

You're wrong. I am a retired immigration officer, and every qualified visa applicant, immigrant and nonimmigrant, is approved. The qualifications are according to written law and do not depend on the examining officer's whim. Every visa or entry denial must be justified according to the law, is reviewed by superiors before finalization and is appealable in federal court. As a matter of record, about half of immigrant petitions are made by corporations, both American and foreign.

BTW, visa denials average approximately 10% on the whole. If you're going to claim the process is "xenophobic" in respect to Muslims, you're going to have to come up with evidence that the denial rate for Muslims is substantially higher than 10%. Complicating your task is the fact that the denial rates are an average of the whole; there is no provision on any form for entering anyone's religion. It is therefore impossible to deny, say, a Sudanese Muslim on the basis of religion.

Now, are you going to call me a liar?

See bro, facts - are only facts... you have to know how to understand them to know what they actually mean.

Your condescension and interpretation would bear more weight if you hadn't just inherently claimed that a 200% increase in population is negligible.

It would also help your case to learn what the facts are before attempting to lecture others on what they mean.

 

[Scimitar]

Now, are you going to call me a liar?

Have I ever?

I'm asking you to consider that the USA only allows 10% of all immigrants into the USA to be from the 'Muslim' category - when the reality is that Muslims account for 20% of all humans on this planet - this according to your source.

Scimi

 

[jabeady]

Have I ever?

I'm asking you to consider that the USA only allows 10% of all immigrants into the USA to be from the 'Muslim' category - when the reality is that Muslims account for 20% of all humans on this planet - this according to your source.

Scimi

There is NO "Muslim category." To repeat:

BTW, visa denials average approximately 10% on the whole. If you're going to claim the process is "xenophobic" in respect to Muslims, you're going to have to come up with evidence that the denial rate for Muslims is substantially higher than 10%. Complicating your task is the fact that the denial rates are an average of the whole; there is no provision on any form for entering anyone's religion. It is therefore impossible to deny, say, a Sudanese Muslim on the basis of religion.

Edit: From the above-mentioned Pew research -

"In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion."

Xenophobic immigration policy. Yeah, right.